Glory

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
        Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements - surely you know!
        Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
        or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
        and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Or who shut in the sea with doors
        when it burst out from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
        and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed limits for it
        and set bars and doors,
and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
       and here shall your proud waves be stayed'?

Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
       and caused the dawn to know its place,
that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
       and the wicked be shaken out of it?
It is changed like clay under the seal,
        and its features stand out like a garment.
From the wicked their light is withheld,
        and their uplifted arm is broken.

Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
        or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
        or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
        Declare, if you know all this.
        (Job38:4-18)


Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

And he was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."  (Revelation 21:1-5)


And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. 
(Revelation 21:22-27)

Many people--I am one myself--would never, but for what nature does to us, have had any content to put into the words we must use in confessing our faith. Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word "glory" a meaning for me. I still do not know where else I could have found one. I do not see how the "fear" of God could have ever meant to me anything but the lowest prudential efforts to be safe, if I had never seen certain ominous ravines and unapproachable crags. And if nature had never awakened certain longings in me, huge areas of what I can now mean by the "love" of God would never, so far as I can see, have existed.
(CS Lewis)

Reader, I pray that God would be pleased to awaken in you a greater awe and a greater apprehension of God's glory.  The following is a video I found because Evan van Peursem posted it on his facebook.  It would be idolatry to worship creation, but you should indeed worship the Creator of such a beautiful and magnificent creation.  I am amazed at what God has fashioned, and yet, I also know that we are to look forward to resurrection and New Creation.  The best is definitely yet to come, and so I enjoy seeing and savoring beauty in things like this video because they awaken in me a homesickness for a world that is coming that I cannot even fathom.  And I think that homesickness, far from ruining my part in this world, rather gives it focus and direction.  Like Paul, it would be better to go, but for fruitful labor, God-willing, I will stay.  And according to Revelation, our good and holy God will dwell with us as our God when we get to where we are going.  Let that thought grab you for awhile.