His glory rises upon me! - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) March 17, 2023

While on earth, Jesus was very concerned about the spiritual condition of people because their spiritual condition had physical implications. This is why He often cast out evil spirits from people to ensure their freedom from disease. He also taught people how to live in alignment with God's expectations, for that strengthened them spiritually and in the physical. Finally, He died so all who believe in Him could also ascend to Heaven when their time on earth comes to an end.

Jesus knew that all who would come to believe in Him would be mere humans and therefore imperfect. Despite this, one of the many promises He gave is in John 17:22 - I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. This statement tells us that all who believe in Him are recipients of God's glory. He did this so that each believer would have spiritual unity with God even while living in the physical realm.

This promise - that mere humans could receive the glory of the Almighty - was so important to God that even before Jesus uttered it, the Lord used Isaiah to pronounce it. Isaiah 60:1-2 - “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

It is almost impossible to believe that the Creator of the Universe would share any of His glory. Yet, Jesus specifically said that He'd given us the glory that the Lord gave Him. However, what does that mean in a practical sense? How does that affect believers from day to day? Imagine what it means for God to be glorious. He is powerful and capable of so much more than we can ever understand. And this same glorious God wants to bring believers into some of that. We can never be as glorious as He is, but in His loving kindness, He wants all who believe in Him to walk in that shine.

Look at Isaiah 41:15 - “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. It tells us that when God's glory is upon you, you become a powerful threshing instrument in His hand. You become a battle axe that He uses here on earth to effect His will and His word. This way you become an agent of godly change in your family, you neighborhood, your workplace and everywhere else.

God's glory gives authority to exact His written word. It also empowers you to do the things Jesus did and more because the Savior Himself said in John 14:12 - Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. In this case, the scripture becomes a living, breathing thing in your life. The Lord will point you in the direction of a verse and you will see it work in the physical just as you know it has worked in the spiritual.

God's glory also brings His favor into your life. The things that stop others will barely slow you down, because God's glory brings His grace and the capacity to do what others deem impossible. His favor grants success and protection. Remember how Elisha provided the widow with a miracle that multiplied the little oil she had into vats of oil that she sold to get out of debt (2 Kings 4:1-7)? That's what God's favor brings - fullness of life and miraculous rescue from everything trying to spell disaster and failure.

However, there are conditions attached to fully living in this glory, in this gift. You must submit to God's Spirit (Proverbs 3:6). For it is through the Spirit of the Lord that God's glory fully descends upon an individual. The Spirit of the Lord comes through accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Therefore, it is not enough to say you believe in Jesus. You must receive the Holy Spirit and walk with Him in submission. He is the Voice of God who reminds you of what Jesus taught (John 14:26). He instructs you which way to turn (John 14:26). He tells you where to not go because as stated in Romans 8:14 - For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

The specifics of this submission might look different from person to person but the overall effect will be the same. It will mean making God the head of your life. Choosing Him and what He wants before your personal desires (Matthew 6:33). And over time, you'll realize that your desires increasingly line up with His (1 Peter 4:2). His glory upon you makes that and so much more happen.

If you believe in Jesus, have submitted to His authority in your life, and are allowing Him to build You into a vessel for His purpose, then you need to believe that He's given you God's glory. You might not feel or see it yet but let the Lord show you. Let Him build you up to the point where you'll see the promise of Jesus at work in your life. Till then, tell God you want to see His glory to come upon you today.

See you at Noon EST for P&P fellowship when we'll worship God, intercede for others then turn our attention to making sure we align with the Lord in order to confidently say, "His glory rises upon me."