04/29/2026
The Glory of God
“Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting… And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability… What you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people… The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Acts of the Apostles 2:2-4, 16-17, 20-21 NLT
The glory of God is directly connected to the Promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit and fire new birth. No one can fully understand holy reverence without encountering the glory of God; His Spirit and Truth. Scripture reveals His glory as radiant light, consuming fire, and majesty far beyond human understanding. Through the empowering presence of His Spirit, we love Him even though we have not yet seen Him face to face. Though we do not see Him now, we trust in Him, and our hearts overflow with a joy too wonderful for words and filled with glory. And the reward of our faith is the salvation of our souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Habakkuk said, “His brightness was like the light.” Paul wrote that God dwells in “unapproachable light.” Hebrews says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”
Think for a moment about the sun. It is powerful, blazing, and impossible to approach. Yet even the sun is only a dim picture compared to the glory of Jesus Christ.
When the apostle Paul encountered the risen Lord, he said he saw a light from heaven brighter than the noonday sun (Acts 26:13). Imagine the brightest sunlight possible—and then realize Christ’s glory surpasses it. If Paul experienced this glorious brightness of Jesus, does Jesus want all of us to experience His glory in the same manner?
This helps us understand why Joel prophesies that all flesh experience how the sun, moon, and stars is darkened in His presence. It is not because these heavenly bodies cease to exist, but because His glory will outshine them all as He fills us and manifest through us to the world around us.
What, then, is the glory of God?
When Moses prayed, “Please, show me Your glory,” God responded by saying, “I will make all My goodness pass before you” (Exodus 33:18–19).
God’s glory is the full revelation of who He is. It is this revealing of Himself that He invest in His Bride and children.
It is His holiness, goodness, wisdom, authority, beauty, power, mercy, justice, love, and majesty—all displayed without limit. The glory of God is everything that makes God, God. His name is Jesus and He gives us His name as His sons and daughters to reveal Himself through us for His glory.
Right now, we do not see Him in fullness. His Spirit is inviting us to trust Him as He develops our vision through a dim glass. But even now, we can know Him truly. We can encounter His presence through His Spirit and Truth while trusting, worshipping and following Him faithfully.
And here is the wonder of it all: the glorious God of the universe loves us deeply.
The One who placed the stars in the heavens, measured the waters in His hand, and rules all creation chose to rescue us. He took our judgment through His own Body so we could become part of His family.
That means the glory of God is not only something to fear with reverence—it is something to rejoice in with gratitude.
Second Corinthians 3:18 says that as we behold the Lord, we are transformed into His image from glory to glory by His Spirit Truth.
So today, lift your eyes higher than your worries. Higher than your distractions. Higher than the temporary pressures of life.
Fixing our hearts on the majesty of God is key. The more clearly we see Him, the more everything else aligns with His lordship in our hearts.
Prayer: Jesus, give us a greater awareness of Your glory. Help us to host Your presence without allowing other influences to distract our focus on You. We want Your greatness to be more real to us than the world around us. Fill our heart with reverence, wonder, awe, and love for You. Transform us as we behold You and honor Your name today. In Jesus name, amen.
Reflection: The glory of God is everything that makes God, God—and as we behold Him, we are changed.
~ Ps. Duane Lowe
