But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD..."
Jeremiah 2:11-12
The glory of the people of God has always been God Himself. It's what makes them special. It's what makes them different from anyone else. It's all about WHO they belong to. I found this wonderful quote that illustrates this simply:
In any museum we will find quite ordinary things - clothes, a walking stick, a pen, pieces of furniture - which are only of value because they were possessed and used by some great person. It is the ownership which gives them worth. It is so with the Christian...The greatness of the Christian lies in the fact that he is God's.
~ William Barclay
Every time that Israel forgot God and mixed with the sinful worship and lifestyle of the nations around them, they became indistinct, there was no more beauty and the enemy nations around them had no reason to fear them anymore. The same principles are true today with those who profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ. It's not about our religious training or pedigree, it's just about whether or not we are truly walking with God, in Christ, right now.
I love to watch those 700 Club clips featuring the testimonies of people who have experienced God's power to transform them from the darkest lifestyles and hopeless situations. They often stir my heart and bring me to tears. I've watched ex-porn stars, exotic dancers, homosexual sex-addicts, drug addicts and dealers, chronic adulterers, witches and satanists, all shine, glow, beam, through my TV screen with the glory of God, proclaiming His power to deliver, to heal and to totally set free in Jesus Christ. I am not a melodramatic person. The beauty in those people really came through the TV camera and God was magnified.
So, whether we have a sordid history or not, you and I have no glory except our God. We have this glory because we belong to Him and He is with us and in us. Don't sell out! Don't sell out! Don't sell out!
i love this entry! i agree with you that we are special because of WHO we belong to and who lives in us and changes us. i often think about what i am and what i am not without God. and it is amazing to see Him transform anyone into something that radiates beauty. i get teary eyed when i see those stories too. ;)
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by again julia! it's such a simple truth, but i really had to ponder it again, like a brand new discovery. grace, grace!
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