GLORY

What stirs in your mind when you hear the word? I mean the first thought or image? Is it personal glory? The type where you are adored by fans for some accomplishment? Or does it relate to the experience drawn from memory of having witness somebody else being granted such attention?

Have I truly touched upon the reality of normal human thought in that regard? Unless we are somehow totally focused spiritually I’m sure somewhere in the word we translate it by our own dimension.

The ultimate frame of reference for glory is of course the Lord. With him glory has an eternal quality. One that will never stop shining.

And he is so gracious to let his glory shine through us when we join him. That kind of warmth and bliss has no equal in this life.

I was reflecting the other day on a small moment in history that is recorded in the scriptures. It took place when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. We are told they dwelled there before their fall and were naked and not ashamed.

Once they ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they suddenly had their eyes “opened” to their nakedness and then hid. One thing that bothered me about that was how come simple nudity would really bother them so much? I mean there were no other people around. I can’t imagine they were worried about what the animals might think.

So what really was the cause of their shame then? This is just speculation, but could it have been the shame of having gone from being perfect or sinless to being a sinner? Seeing themselves in that type of spiritual nakedness condition, which was totally foreign to their existence was something I would certainly feel could make them feel ashamed.

And in the process with God their relationship deteriorated. They actually thought covering themselves in some way was going to remove that condition of nakedness.

I think to the times when I’ve imagined how easy it is to justify or excuse one’s sins in prayer. So in many ways I can’t help feel a few of us have tried the same thing with the Lord in some different way.

Perhaps that is why some people work so hard to pretend they don’t send. Ever known anyone who never can bring themselves to admit that they do things that are wrong? Isn’t that in part the same type of behavior?

The great thing is knowing how we don’t truly have to avoid such spiritual nakedness with the Lord. We can come to him fully prepare to allow him to see our real selves since he sees us that way already. Some work so hard to avoid such realities. As for myself, well I’m learning to celebrate God’s grace and can’t wait to know that glorious time when he will cloth us with his perfection so we will never have to feel that kind of nakedness again.