The Glory of God
"They did not repent" (Revelation 9:21)
Psalm 19 it is a place where David and the Holy Spirit take us to the
heights of God's perspective and we catch a glimpse of His glorious
works on behalf of those He loves.
There are really two parts to that Psalm, and both of them will bring us
to the glory of God. The first portion of Psalm 19 is about the material
universe.
Years ago, the complexity of the universe was compared to a wristwatch.
If you found a watch on the beach, you certainly would not think that
somehow it had evolved from the primordial ooze of the ocean and washed
ashore to spawn other watches. No, you would instantly see that the
watch had a creator. The analogy of the watch is limited, by the way,
because the universe is incredibly more complicated than any watch,
computer or other creation of mankind. This complex universe has a
Creator and He is the Lord God, Maker of heaven and of earth. We can see
His glory in His creation.
The second half of that Psalm is about the written Word of God, the book
we call the "Bible". God equates the importance of the universe with the
importance of His Word. In years past, I made a point of reading as many
as possible of the so-called "holy books" of this world's religions. My
initial response was disappointment in all of them.
As stated in other contexts, the surprise was when I prayed. Prayer
implies belief and I did not think I had any. The second surprise was
greater than the first because God answered that prayer. I was shown
that God will open the understanding of those who prayerfully read the
Bible, and we can see His glory in His Word.
In the last Book of the Bible, called the "The Revelation of Jesus
Christ", we look into the time when the judgment of God will fall upon
mankind. It tells of the "last days" when things are going to be very
bad indeed.
The judgments of God are intended to be curative, by the way. The
troubles in our lives are ALLOWED, and the intention is to bring us from
unbelief to faith, through the Son of God. Everyone who has ever lived
has been placed into an optimal setting where we can choose to respond
to God. The choice is ours. Whatever your decision, the glory is His.
You might ask this question: What about the person who already loves the
Lord and they have cancer? They already HAVE faith! What about them? The
answer is sometimes outside of ourselves. The trouble we have (and our
response to it) may be instrumental in the turn to faith of another
person. You may have been allowed to be in the cancer ward for the high
privilege of modeling Christ and His love to the person in the next bed.
Who are they going to listen to? - Some person who doesn't have cancer?
Maybe; maybe not. But if your ticket has been punched and you're on the
train with them - they're likely to respond to your glimpse of the glory
of God.
In Revelation Chapter 9, we see judgment on an amazing scale. When you
read about the "locusts" with "the faces of men" (verse 7), you might
wonder: Is this the outward event that will plague mankind? Or is this
something in the supernatural arena, which will have its reflection in
the human realm? I don’t think we really know, but the outward
circumstances will be very grim indeed.
In the last half of Chapter 9, we find war (an army of "two hundred
million" - verse 16) and fully one third of mankind will be decimated
(verse 18). "But the rest of mankind", continuing in verse 20, "Did not
(would not) repent of the works of their hands." Frank Sinatra sang, "I
did it my way", just like the people in these verses. You can feel the
lament of God here, and His sorrow is repeated in verse 21: "They did
not repent."
God loves you and He "desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). His sadness is like a sigh,
"They did not repent." He has squeezed the last drop of faith from the
heart of mankind and there is no more. The critical point has been
reached and He must bring this age to a close.
We can come to God "the easy way or the hard way" as "they" say but God
does not have in mind the suffering of His little ones. It is a problem
for many that life is so short, but it really is an act of mercy on His
part. We are taken out of this "vale of tears" - and those who love Him,
those who want Him; are to be with Him - forever.
There was a poem in a book written years ago by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman,
entitled "The Eye of the Storm", and this is the first stanza:
"Fear not that the whirlwind shall carry thee hence,
Nor wait for its onslaught in breathless suspense,
Nor shrink from the whips of the terrible hail,
But pass through the edge to the heart of the gale,
For there is a shelter, sunlighted and warm,
And faith sees her God, through the eye of the storm."
The glory of God has been shared with the people of this world through
Jesus Christ. He has given us the wonder of His creation, the
magnificence of His Word, and He has even given us salvation through the
blessed Son of God, who reveals more of His glory in John 17:22: “And
the glory which Thou hast given Me, I have given to them; that they may
be one, just as We (the Father and Son) are one.”
He has in mind that we will put aside our petty squabbles and turn to
His love. C.S. Lewis spoke of the glory of God, commenting, “our means
of glorifying Him, the salvation of human souls, is the real business of
life.” It’s time to take our eyes off our differences and put our lives
to work for the glory of God. Receive Him, trust in Him, and when you
are following Him, reach out your hand to help another. God will be
glorified and you will be blessed.
We receive You, Lord. Let us trust in You now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
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