The other day after my kids were in bed, I decided to take my dog for an evening walk. The sun had already set when we started down the trail, and the only light visible was the reflection of my dog's eyes from my headlamp and the millions of stars that were unusually vivid in the immensity of the night sky. I ambled through the stillness of the night, taking in the moment in the fresh fall air.
It was glorious.
There is something about those glorious moments that is life-giving. When we experience glory, it has a way of energizing us, settling us, connecting us, propelling us, empowering us, defining and refining us all at once. Glory is the quintessential element in the universe that our souls crave. We all might seek it in different ways, but make no mistake, it's glory we want.
Some of us seek glory in experiences while others look to relationships. Some think substances hold glory within it, while others seek accomplishments or achievements to find it. No matter the means, the end we seek is the same, it's glory. Real, lasting, transcendent glory is what every human being longs for. We were made from it, and we can't live without it. We all have this in common. Likewise, we also all make a common mistake in seeking a glory that is fading and temporary and incapable of satisfying us.
As my dog, Lewis, and I continued down the trail, a song came on through my playlist at "random."
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
In that moment, I was reminded that as glorious as the splendour of the stars, the Milky Way, the fresh fall air truly is, it pales in comparison to the One who made it. The reality is that all of the stars in the night sky, plus the splendour of the moment, couldn't touch the glory of Jesus.
The phrase in the song reminded me that the glory in the simplicity of a healthy golden retriever companion walking with me through the night, heading back to a great home where a beautiful wife and three kids wait for me, can't compare to Jesus. That a career of accomplishments and a lifetime of incredible experiences added up together cannot compete with the Glory of Jesus. Every glorious thing on this Earth becomes invisible in the light of His glory. It just disappears next to the Real "Thing." A flashlight can feel really powerful and bright in the middle of the night, but aim it at the sun, and you can't tell it's on.
May we be reminded that in Jesus, we can freely access the Glory in which our souls crave and all other earthly glory points to. May we seek to see His glory, and by it be transformed from life to life, glory to glory.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." 2 Corinthians 2:18 ESV
For His Glory
B