Sunday, January 21, 2007

When the glory of God comes

I know you pray for God's glory to be revealed to your people group. I know you long for the day when praise to Him will fill the earth. Go with me for a moment to that place in the future when it happens ... when it's real. What will it look like when the wilderness and dry land you are in today see the glory of the living God? Isaiah 35 gives us a picture:

35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;2 it shall blossom abundantlyand rejoice with joy and singing.The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.They shall see the glory of the Lord,the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands,and make firm the feeble knees.4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,“Be strong; fear not!Behold, your Godwill come with vengeance,with the recompense of God.He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,and the ears of the deaf unstopped;6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.For waters break forth in the wilderness,and streams in the desert;7 the burning sand shall become a pool,and the thirsty ground springs of water;in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there,and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;the unclean shall not pass over it.It shall belong to those who walk on the way;even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there,nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;they shall not be found there,but the redeemed shall walk there.10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall returnand come to Zion with singing;everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;they shall obtain gladness and joy,and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

In that day your land will see:

* Joy (vv. 1-2)
* Fruitfulness (vv. 1-2)
* Wholeness (vv. 5-6)
* Refreshing (v. 7)
* Holiness (vv. 8-9)
* Restoration (v. 10)

What should you do in the meantime! Verses 3-4 make it clear: Believe God!

I pray for your nations, your people, YOU, to see the glory of God. I pray that in your spiritual deserts you would see His glory. Seeing His glory is transformational!

2 Cor. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

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