Glory Revealed
(with excerpts from Max Lucado)
by: Bro. Paul Mojica
Most often than not, Christians would think of “GLORY” as an ascribed status of being used for God’s purpose: a concept of having a (God given) purpose so that His presence would be manifested in one’s life. Such idea would connote as someone who is usual seen either behind the pulpit, on the platform, or someone prominent at church.But what is the true meaning behind this four letter word that gives so much impact in a christian’s life?
In the Scriptures we can find that no other word was emphatically mentioned in other books of the bible (by Christ Himself) than in the Book of John chapter 17. In the opening verses (verse 1-5) Our Lord Jesus Christ was praying:
1After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
The verses state that Jesus was asking The Father to glorify Him so that He can give the glory back to Him. Nonetheless glory in a Christian life does not end upon ourselves, but to God alone. Testimonies of having overcome something are not for us for the taking but to God the Father who has authored everything. One such story of deliverance from a loss through a tragic event that have endeared every Christian (and even non-christians) is the story of Martin and Gracia Burnham. Both have met and married with mission work for Christ in their hearts. They served God in the Philippines for 17 years. With three children born in the mission field and valuable skills in aviation program, they have acclimated themselves and planted their hearts to God’s first love. But sadly on the 27th of May 2001 while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary at a beachside resort, Martin and Gracia were captured as hostage by a militant terrorist organization with links to Osama Bin Laden. Their captors chained and marched them through jungles and rationed their food. They’ve endured seventeen firefights in a period of 400 days. In a letter to their children, Martin was led to write a premonition and bid farewell to their children. “We might not leave this jungle alive” said Martin, “but at least we can leave this world serving the Lord with gladness”. The premonition proved accurate. On June 7,2002 Philippine rangers attacked the terrorist camp, catching Martin and Gracia in the crossfire. One bullet entered her leg, one bullet ended Martin’s life. She was left a widow and to the many Christians, we are left with the question WHY? And as we are thinking of theirs, how do we explain our own. The rigors at work, delayed salaries, the doctor’s findings, that early morning call from home, bills on your desk, that tumor in your body. We weren’t taken as hostage, but aren’t we taken aback by God’s silence? We often give the cliché comment of “God knows what He is doing”, but how do we personally explain and even convince ourselves of such?
Maybe God messed up? Maybe He didn’t look while the cancer cells spread? Could it be that God is an absent minded creator? What evidence does scripture provide to support such a view? What evidence does the Creator offer? Why didn’t God blocked the bullet?
Could it be that we have exhausted mercy from God’s bank account that every prayer bounces like a blank check? Did He blowed the whistle and yelled FOUL at us?
PSALM 103:8-11 (NLT) tell us:
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
Don’t blame all the suffering in the world on the anger of God. He’s not mad, He didn’t mess up. Our pain has a purpose. Our struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end – THE GLORY OF GOD.
Phil. 1:29:
For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.
A closer look might open a few things in our own struggles. Do your prayers seem unanswered? What you receive and what you asked aren’t matching up? Don’t think God is not listening. Sure He is He may have higher plans. Are people strengthened by your struggle?
Do you find people telling you “If you have faith, He will heal you”. But what if healing wont come? God works on His schedules and deadlines. His sovereignty extends to the very minute part of our body. He calls it and we simply have to trust that He do things out of His plans.
Remember.. “plans to prosper us and not to harm us”..? God works different as we expect. The hospital room could be a showcase of your Maker. Our faith in the face of suffering cranks up the volume of God’s song. Consider the doctors, the nurses, love ones visiting. The blind man, Lazarus (examples in the New Testament) and millions of others form a unique society selected to suffer for God’s glory. History and nations, people and problems, a kidnapped couple in the Philippines, yours, mine.
A season of suffering is small when compared to the reward. Rather than begrudge problems, explore it, ponder it , and most of all use it to the glory of God. Marcia and Martin did it.
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