Romans 5:2
"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
I was reading the larger passage this verse comes from and kept coming back to this little sentence at the end of verse two. Normally, it seems like a pretty easy verse to understand and say "yes, of course" to, but I didn't feel like I completely understood it... and it's not exactly a difficult statement. So do you mind if we take a closer look? (Best to start of small and simple...)
For some reason, it was the last bit of that sentence -- the thing that gives us hope -- that made me think:
What is "the glory of God"? Why does it give us hope -- a hope we can rejoice in?
To help you think through this, here are some other verses that talk about God's glory:
Exodus 15:11
Psalm 19:1
Psalm 72:19
Romans 3:23
Exodus 33:18
(these links will take you to an online Bible... you can use the buttons above the verse to see the next verse, previous verse, or the whole chapter so you can read it in it's context... or just look them up in your own Bible!)
Please pray for God to give you wisdom, read through these verses, and then leave your comments below... please don't be afraid to make a comment! We need to hear your thoughts, and what God reveals to you (because He will if you ask!).
PS. To easily see this post with any comments that have been made, simply click on its title. It's also easy to add your own comment from there.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Glory
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3 comments:
Okay, here's my comment, just to get us started...
"Glory" is one of those terms that I've heard forever, and so it kind of loses its meaning... which is why I had to stop and really think about this verse, because I want to know where I can put my hope...
Anyway, as I thought and prayed about it, an image came to my mind: picture yourself at the biggest sporting event EVER. Thousands and thousands of people, all standing up, cheering with all their might, lights flashing, music filling the air, the air just reverberates with energy. All because God has shown up. His Glory fills the stadium. His glory is everything that is wonderful, magnificent, praiseworthy, awesome and overwhelming about Him. It's HIM! And you can't help but become overwhelmed and shout "hooray!"
Interesting topic. I have always taken this word for granted, having heard, read, or sung about it many times but never having taken the time to reflect on it's meaning. I like your illustration of the stadium. God's glory is so powerful, and has so many dimensions, it IS overwhelming... difficult to completely grasp or describe in simple words. How could we, knowing we are His, and that He loves us in spite of His overwhelming glory, not have hope in a glorious eternity?
To me God is awesome because of his Holiness. It is difficult to understand with our finite minds. but I want more of that. HOPE, according to Ephesians 6 is the helmet of protection for our minds from satan's discouragement. We need to PUT it on. So then, I assume that since God inhabits our praise, when we rejoice in Him , that we we are drawn into his plan for our lives and growth in the Spirit.
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