Girlfriends in God - August 14, 2012
August 14, 2012
A Sudden Glory when God Makes Himself Known
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“Blessed are your eyes because they see,” Jesus said, “and your ears because they hear,” (Matthew 13:16 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Can you remember a time when you sensed God’s presence and you were absolutely sure it was Him? Perhaps it was when you first believed, or maybe it happened just yesterday. You may have felt an overwhelming sense of His love, received an answer to prayer, felt an inexplicable peace, or witnessed a miracle. But when it happened…oh, when it happened…you knew you had encountered the divine. The moment came and went, and you were awestruck. Do you remember it? I call those moments when God makes Himself known to you personally a sudden glory—an intimate moment with your Creator, the Lover of your soul, a glimpse of heaven.
To illustrate what I mean by this, consider how Sheldon Vanauken, author of A Severe Mercy, describes the moment he knew he was in love with his wife Davy:
One who has never been in love might mistake either infatuation or a mixture of affection and sexual attraction for being in love. But when the ‘real thing’ happens, there is no doubt. A man in the jungle at night, as someone said, may suppose a hyena’s growl to be a lion’s; but when he hears the lion’s growl, he knows [full] well it’s a lion. So with the genuine inloveness. So with Davy and me. A sudden glory.
I have been in the jungle and heard the lion’s roar. I knew full well it was Him. So with the genuine inloveness. So with Jesus and me. A sudden glory. Time and time again.
All throughout our lives, I dare say, throughout our days, we will experience a sudden glory in unpredictable moments. Or, at least we could.
A friend shared a moment of sudden glory in her life:
“Life was hard after my divorce. With no child support and only a part-time job for income, there were days when I didn’t know how I would put dinner on the table for myself and my four children. I often had to choose between buying groceries or paying the electric bill. On one such day, I walked to the mailbox praying I wouldn’t find another cut-off notice from the utility company. Thankfully, there was nothing of the sort. Instead, I found an envelope that had no return address, and inside it was a note that read, ‘Jesus loves you.’ Tucked behind the note was a grocery store gift card for an amount that would buy groceries for at least a week.
In that moment, I felt as if God wrapped His arms around me and whispered to my heart, ‘I see you. I love you. I care.’ His presence was suddenly so real that all I could do was stand there and cry.”
These moments are the salve for the glory ache. They are the manna moments to stay the hunger until we finally reach heaven’s home. Do you yearn for those glory moments? Well guess what? God longs to give them to you even more than you yearn for them!
Today, look for the moments. The writing in the sky. The breeze upon your cheek. The flower pushing its way through concrete. Expect the unexpected. Let yourself be romanced by a sudden glory moment from God.
Let’s Pray
God, Thank You for the glory moments you scatter about in my life with a generous hand. Please don’t let me get so caught up on the busyness of life to miss the Source of Life. Thank You for caring enough about me to make Your presence known in so many ways…for speaking to me first one way and then another.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Think of 5 examples in the Old Testament where a man or woman was caught off guard by a moment of sudden glory. I’ll start: Moses and the burning bush. I know. I took the easiest one. Sorry about that.J
Think of 5 more.
Now, I want you to tell me about one of your own sudden glory moments. You can leave a comment on my blog page. Look for this entry and tell me your story.
Or, I would love for you to visit my Sudden Glory Guest Book and tell me your story. This is a special page I’ve added to my website just for you. Come often and tell about how God showed up in your life in an unmistakable way.
More from the Girlfriends
Do you long to feel close to God but sense there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do have a glory ache – a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my new book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me in discovering how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred and experience a deeper more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer.
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