The Splendor of His Glory

"Come and see what God has done,

his awesome deeds for mankind!"

Psalm 66:5

Guilt weighs me down, propelling me to move as if my life depended on it.  Sorrow grieves my heart, sinking me down into a miry pit.  Ambition lights a fire in me, inspiring me to do God's job for Him.  It's easy to get off track, to focus on the wrong things in life.  

I face hard things on a daily basis; life is definitely not a walk through the park.  Most of the time it is a challenge with various obstacles breaking my pace, pitfalls wreaking havoc and dangers lurking.  Consequently, it's easy to pay attention only to what is wrong, difficult or broken.  Then He tugs at my heart, gently whispering in my ear.  Look!  Come and see what I have done!  And I turn, retraining my focus to the work of His mighty hand and see it: The splendor of His glory that is hidden all around me.

Miracles.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  He was like a different person, renewed and refreshed.  Where there once was a hard countenance, now I saw a gentle peace.  Instead of angry bitterness that colored his life, I detected an acceptance of his circumstances, a contentment with his lot in life.  While there used to be nothing but disappointment for the course his journey had taken, now he eagerly looked forward to what was coming next.  There was no way to explain it except to say God had worked a miracle in this man's life.

A miracle is an event that blows the mind, sweeping away expectations for how life normally goes and stumping scientific attempts to find answers to explain how it all came about.  It is the work of a mighty God.  There are all kinds of wonders that can't be attributed to man or nature.  The transformation of a heart, healing of a marriage, change of course for the trajectory of the prodigal.  Then there are the rescues from a burning building where death was certain but extraordinarily avoided, the inexplicable recovery from the disease that had all but snuffed out life, the near miss that left everyone in tears.

Come and see what miracles God has done; look for them!

Might.  It may seem like no one is managing this crazy planet that seems to be spinning out of control.  I look around me and see pain, brokenness and suffering.  Who's at the helm of this sinking ship?

Things are not what they seem.  Behind it all, God is on the throne, ruling with mighty power.  His hand upholds kingdoms, faithfully directing the details of our lives and enacting justice with perfect righteousness.  He is in control, of that I can be sure.  Even though this world is broken by sin and infiltrated by the enemy of my soul, the evil is not sovereign over all things;  God is.  Only the Maker of heaven and earth has authority to attend to the affairs of His people, enact vengeance and bring about salvation.

Come and see the might of our great God!

Mindful.  "Why did you turn the water faucet on?"  I asked my daughter as she came through the back door, screen door slamming behind her.  

"How did you know?" she asked, seriously confused that I would be aware of her secret doings.

"I'm a mother.  We have our ways."

While I may have convinced my young daughters that I possessed some kind of superpower while they were growing up, a mother is nothing compared to God.  He is aware of my comings and goings, my quirky ways and every thought that passes through my mind.  He even knows the words that shoot out of my mouth without thought or intention.  In short, He understands me completely, better than I know myself (Psalm 139:1-4).

With such a God as this, why do I think I must direct my own footsteps, make my dreams come true, promote my own self?  God is mindful of me and has the better plan for my life.  If I would get out of the way, He is ready to get to work placing me where He wants me, giving me the good gifts He has in mind for me, using me how He will best make His name known.

Come and see the mindfulness of our attentive God!

It's easy for me to get caught up in all that is wrong in this world.  After all, there is an abundance.  But the good news is that God is always at work and is a good God, meaning the miraculous and mighty works of a mindful God are all around me.  All it takes is for me is to come and see the splendor of His glory!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be mindful of God, knowing that He is paying attention to me.

When do I miss all the good because I'm focused on what is wrong?

How am I stubbornly insisting on explaining miracles away instead of giving God the glory for the great things He has done and is doing?