There are almost four hundred references to “glory” in the Bible; it might surprise you to learn that many of those references liken us to God’s glory. We were created with a purpose and a destiny to rule, crowned with God’s glory (Psalm 8:5-8; Isaiah 60:2-3; 62:2-3). A ruler’s crown sets him or her apart from all others. It is a symbol of authority. God’s glory is our crown and authority to rule over all of creation. David said that all things have been placed under man’s feet. Jesus expanded our authority to all authority in heaven and on earth which has been given to him and now delegated to us (Matthew 28:18). Isaiah noted that this glory with which we are crowned will one day draw all nations as sons and daughters of God (Isaiah 60:2-3). However, if Paul wrote about men being the glory of God, then perhaps falling short of glory is not about performance, but rather living below who we truly are. We do this because we do not really understand who we are; if we did, perhaps we would not fall short of the glory given to us.
God’s Great Love
Several years ago I was watching an episode of “Bones”. Bones and Booth were driving; they were discussing Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Booth told Bones how he could never do what Abraham did and be willing to offer his son as a sacrifice. There conversation provoked me to further reflection on that story found in Genesis 22. God told Abraham to take his son Isaac, whom he loved, and sacrifice him (Genesis 22:1). Abraham was willing to do so and proved that his love for God surpassed even his own love for Isaac. John says that God loved the world so much, he gave his only begotten son for the world (John 3:16). Isn’t it odd that people struggle to understand how Abraham could be willing to sacrifice Isaac, but rarely question how God could sacrifice Jesus for us? Why is that? Do we not think that Father experienced grief and horror at seeing Jesus suffer on the cross and then turn his back on him, something that Abraham never had to experience? Abraham never experienced loss of Isaac, because God stopped him and told him to sacrifice a ram. The ram is understood as an illustration of what Jesus would do for us. However, there was not anyone to stop God from sacrificing Jesus for us. There was no substitute sacrifice for Jesus. While Abraham demonstrated that his love for God even surpassed his love for Isaac, God also demonstrated to us that his love for us surpasses even his love for Jesus. Why did Jesus have to die? It was the only way for God our Father to reveal how much he loves us. If he sacrificed his own son on our behalf then he loves us even more. The more that we grasp the magnitude of our heavenly Father’s love for us the more our lives are transformed.
Abraham’s Extraordinary Faith
In Genesis 22, we read a surprising account. God tells Abraham to go and sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. God referred to Isaac as Abraham’s “only son, whom he loves”. God’s reference to Isaac as Abraham’s only son is an indication that something bigger is taking place here, because Abraham had another son, Ishmael. God was using Abraham to illustrate something that would take place later. We will look at that in the next post. A second curious aspect of this story that we often miss is what Abraham told the young men who had accompanied him and Isaac. Abraham said that they, Abraham, and Isaac, would go and that they both would return. When he left the young men, Abraham believed that Isaac would be slain, burned on the altar, and then return with him. Although the term isn’t used, resurrection is implied. This is what the author of Hebrews referred to when he wrote that Abraham believed that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). When we read those words in Hebrews, we read them through the lens of Jesus’ resurrection and numbers of other resurrection accounts recorded in Scripture. However, Abraham’s case is fascinating, because prior to this point in Scripture, there is no record of anyone rising from the dead. Scripture does not record a resurrection until the time of Elijah over 1000 years after Abraham. Yet, Abraham told those with him that he and Isaac would return, even though he had every intention to sacrifice Isaac in accordance with the command Father had given to him.
Here is the point, Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead even though that had never happened before. Imagine having that type of faith in what God could do! Believing that God will do something that he had never done before in history. How might that type of faith change the way you live?
Next time we will look at this story from God’s perspective and what he was teaching us.
Understanding Life’s Challenges
Have you ever noticed that when we gain a certain level of experience, we begin to depend on that past experience? We tell ourselves that we’ve done that before, so we can do it again. However, when we face a challenge for the first time, we pray, knowing that it is impossible. So, we go to Father for additional resources. He provides and we have victory. However, the next time, when we face a similar, but bigger challenge, we may just assume that since we already had victory, we can just move forward and not seek Father’s resources—because we have already seen victory. Often that is enough, but when we face a new and unprecedented challenge, we need more. Although Jesus did not explain this in detail, I think this is what happened in Matthew chapter 17 when the disciples were unable to help the boy with seizures. When Jesus came he cast out the demon who caused the boy’s seizures. Although they had cast out demons before they failed this time and asked Jesus why. Jesus told them bluntly that their faith was too little. The disciples faced a situation that required them to have increased faith in Father’s power to defeat the demonic, but they depended on their past, now inadequate, success in casting out demons. Like the disciples in Matthew 17, I am coming to discover that the challenges in life are rarely just problems, but opportunities for connection with Father to have a co-victory over problems both new ones and those I’ve encountered before.
How to respond to blessing
In the parable of the talents, Jesus taught his disciples how to respond to blessings in our life. The first two servants responded by using their blessings (talents) for good, but the third man hid his because he was afraid of the Master. In fear, he actually accused his Master of stealing from others (see Matthew 25:24-25). When our heavenly Father blesses us, we must not respond in fear of losing it. Yet, this becomes harder the older we become, because our Father gives us more and more. When I was in college, I didn’t have much materially. I had a great heritage from my family, but I owned little more than a car, a stereo, clothes, and some textbooks. If I lost all my worldly possessions, it would not have been a great loss. However, as time went by, Father gave me a wife, children, and way more stuff than any of us need. With each new blessing comes an increased temptation to protect what I have. Fear and anxiety bangs at the door of my heart to enter in with all kinds of “what if” scenarios. With nothing, it is easy to live like the first two men in the parable of the talents, but with each increasing blessing, the temptation to slip into a life of fear, like the third man, becomes increasingly attractive. However, fear is a cruel master, constantly seeking more and more control of our lives. On the other hand, the recognition of what Jesus taught us about God our Father sets us free. The more that we grasp and act upon his goodness, the more our lives are set free.
The Paradox of Blessing and Tribulation
While we often misinterpret tribulation, I believe we do the same with blessing. Blessing comes to us starting out as good, because it comes from Father. But, throughout Scripture, people who were blessed often fell. It happened over and over, until in Luke 18, Jesus declared how hard it was for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The disciples couldn’t believe their ears when Jesus said that. Think about it. The people who have received God’s blessing have the hardest time entering into the kingdom! King Saul was blessed when he was anointed king over Israel. It was God who made him king. Nevertheless, in the midst of all that blessing, he fell to the extent that God had to remove him. David fell into sin with Bathsheba, not when he was in tribulation, but when he was at the height of his power—rich and secure in his palace. Solomon, the wisest and richest man who didn’t have an enemy in the world, fell into idolatry at the end of his life. In the decades prior to Assyria’s invasion, Israel experienced great wealth and blessing. Prior to Babylon’s invasion, Judah experienced blessing and even revival under King Josiah.
We have to be missing something here, because God is the one who blesses us for good purposes. So, why do blessings often end up badly? It can’t be Father’s fault, so we must be missing something. That something, I believe, is our worldly meaning given to the blessing. I believe the reason blessing is given is the same as heaven’s purpose in tribulation. Father desires an encounter with us. In difficulty we turn to our heavenly Father for help, but in blessing we need to go to him just as often in thanksgiving and ask for wisdom to manage the blessing in an appropriate manner. Put another way, in tribulation, Father encounters us and produces strength. In blessing us, Father offers partnership to produce intimacy.
The Benefit of Adversity
Let me suggest to you that exercise is to the physical body what adversity is to the spirit. We may not like it, but it is helpful in developing strength. Furthermore, without adversity, you will never develop greatness in the kingdom. If you consider anyone who was ever great in the kingdom or in the world, adversity was always part of their becoming great.
I grew up in Wisconsin during the 1960s. Virtually everyone I knew was a Packer fan. On December 31, 1967, the Packers played the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL Championship in Green Bay. The temperature was thirteen below, and the field became ice as the game progressed. Some players had to be treated for frostbite after the game. Some have called that game the greatest football championship ever played. With a little more than four minutes left in the game, the Packers, who were behind, got the ball. They had to score a touchdown to win the game, but they had not done well since the second quarter. With thirteen seconds left in the game, the ball sat on the one-yard line, and the Packers called their last time out and decided on play. The play was a quarterback sneak that Bart Starr ran, and he went on to score the winning touchdown. Many people have heard of that game, often called the Ice Bowl. I suggest to you that what made that game great was the adverse conditions under which it was played. If it had not been played in the cold and ice, it probably would not be remembered that much, because many games and even championships end with a last second score.
However, what many people don’t know is that seven years prior, the Packers were in a similar situation. In 1960, they were playing for the championship in Philadelphia. They got the ball one final time with just a few minutes left, needing to score a touchdown to win. They got down near the Philadelphia goal line, but they were stopped short and lost the game. After the game, Green Bay coach, Vince Lombardi, told his team that they would never be in that situation again. In fact, over the next seven years, the Packers never lost a play-off or championship game. I suggest to you that the victory in the midst of adverse conditions during the Ice Bowl had its foundation in the adversity and pain of losing the championship in 1960.
Many of us face adversity today, but we have reason for hope and joy. As we stand firm in joy by rejoicing, we know that Jesus is near. We can give thanks for what is good in our life, and we can discipline ourselves to think according to Father’s heart until it becomes automatic in our life.
Thankfulness
I recently heard a speaker explain that, according to studies, the most underdeveloped attribute in humans is gratitude. Because we have not developed gratitude in our lives, we fail to discern all that is good in our life. If we fail to focus on the good, then we give in to the tendency to focus attention on problems. Having focused on our problems, we are even less able to see the things for which we should be thankful. Losing the ability to see that which we should be thankful, our problems consume an even greater portion of our thoughts, until we can only see our problems and sink lower and lower.
All of us have problems in our lives along side things for which we can be thankful. Rather than giving energy to our problems, we can choose to draw energy by deciding to be thankful for that which is good in our lives. It boils down to developing a discipline regarding what we will choose to think about. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul put it this way, “Finally, brothers, whatever is pure, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 ESV)
Jesus’ Nearness
A few years ago, a missionary speaker came to the church I was pastoring. His young son of three, who had recently broken his leg, was with him as he spoke. After holding his son for a while, the speaker put him down on the platform next to him as he shared about their ministry. I found myself watching the little boy. Normally, young children are uncomfortable being in front of so many people, but this little boy was quite at ease in front of the congregation. How could he be so comfortable when most would be anxious and comfortable? The little boy knew he was safe because his daddy was near to him, and he was confident that in his daddy’s presence, nothing bad could happen to him.
The boy’s behavior reveals what Scripture teaches us; Jesus is always near us. Therefore, Jesus’ nearness to us gives us no reason to be anxious, and actually, his nearness can give us great courage. When we know we are protected, we can do things we would never normally do.
Difficult Circumstances
Many of us have promises and prophecies spoken to us that are, as of yet, unfulfilled. Furthermore, our circumstances scream at us, day in and day out, that those promises and prophecies cannot possibly be true. Circumstances said that Abraham would never be a father, but they were wrong. Circumstances affirmed that Joseph would never rule over anything, much less an empire, but he did. Circumstances declared that David would be killed in the wilderness, but he became king. Have you ever considered that your contrary circumstances may actually be an indicator of the truth of those promises and prophecies? Contrary circumstances may be all the more reason to rejoice and give glory to Father who, in the most amazing and dramatic fashion, will bring the promises to pass if we refuse to shrink back.
Let’s pause now. Consider the promises, prophecies, and dreams that are in your life. Write them down or bring them to mind, for every child of God has a kingdom destiny. What is that destiny? Give thanks for that destiny. Now let’s look at circumstances. If your circumstances are hindering you from pursuing your destiny, if they are hindering you from rejoicing, then it is time, like David, to strengthen yourself in the Lord. To focus on the promises which are heaven’s reality and not be hindered in any way by temporary circumstances that seem to indicate the contrary. They may, in fact, be confirming the truth of those promises.
David Freitag 