From the hill tops VIII - Glory

I used to run marathons. Sure 42 kms of pure agony. Having recently come out of the army, I was young, fit, strong and believed that everything was possible. The early morning runs overlooking the city of Durban watching the sun rise and beautifully sketched in my mind. The friendships we formed during those long runs are still current today. My one ultra - marathon 50 miler [actually 90 kms] still quietly lives in my heart with deep personal pleasure.

Every few miles there were mist tunnels. The powerful African sun would beat on our naked shoulders as we fought the desire to give up with the will to finish. These mist tunnels were our empowerment. We would stand momentarily in the relief of these mists, knowing that the road beckons and the finish line awaits. The mist tunnels were not the race. They simply rejuvenated us for the race.

"Behold I am coming to you in thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak to you..." Ex 19:9. God wants to meet with us. God wants to speak to us. We were called even then to be "a kingdom of priests". How does all this add up? We were made for his presence. We hunger for his presence. With a collage of awe and amazement, we are deeply longing for his glory -that wondrous mixture of his holiness, his majesty, his healing, his transcendence - just being God!

Over these many years, I have been somewhat perplexed on occasion , by the mismanagement of this most mysterious part of our spiritual journey. In some circles, daily spiritually has no expectation of his glory being tangible, measurable and transforming. I do so wonder which text they read and which history they study. God is not a theological principle nor an academic subject. He wants to meet with his bride - and on occasion it is particularly powerfully.

Others make the mist tunnel the journey. They hop, skip and jump around the tunnel as if that is its purpose. I am so intrigued that these actions have reduced his 'glory' to such low virtues. His glory transformed humanity. His glory lowered men for they could not stand in his presence. His glory exposed sin, inspired worship, drew men to repentance, impacted cities, changed cultures. I cannot hold frivolous actions of shaking, falling, giggling with the weight and power of both history and the text. There are definitely moments when God's power catalyzes such happenings. However they stun us by HIS PRESENCE. They are real, authentic and transforming. We do so need the true and awesome glory. When he comes...