Comments Off on To See His Glory is to See His Goodness
Recently, I have been reading a tremendous book called “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund. I would highly recommend it to anyone who longs to know the gentle and wonderful heart of God. As I read, a particular section from a familiar passage in Exodus moved me deeply.
The Lord chose to reveal His name to Moses in Exodus 34:5: “Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.”
Holy Week is the most important week in history. And Easter is significantly more than just a single day. Holy Week was marked by powerful teachings, betrayal, warnings, fulfilled prophecy, and the clear display of God’s plan, power, and love.
It all happened in just eight days. Jesus Christ — the Son of God — entered Jerusalem on Sunday, was arrested on Thursday, was crucified and buried on Friday, and rose from the dead three days later. Why do those eight days still matter so much two thousand years later? What does that week mean for our lives today?
I am so very thankful for the Gospel. Without a doubt, it has entirely changed the course of my life. And even more incredible is to know that in faith, I believe the Gospel has changed the course of my eternal life.
Separation
Before I came to know Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, I was just like every person (who also inherited sin) since the fall of Adam and Eve. A life separated from God for all eternity. I can’t begin to express the enormity of that truth in this life. Or, let’s take it further into the almost incomprehensible eternal life. Forever! Early in my walk with God, the verse below absolutely wrecked me. And even now, when I read it, I almost gasp out loud. Like the sound you might make when you witness someone getting horribly injured.
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.” — Revelation 2:4-5a
I read this verse recently, and it brought some deep conviction to my heart. The Lord sets the context of these verses when He speaks to some Believers in the final days. In this particular example, He praised them for their “hard work”, “patient endurance,” and “protection of the Truth.” But He complained that the Church had lost its first love — Jesus Himself.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
You may have heard that in 2024, Bible sales rose by 22% over the previous year. That is certainly very encouraging! At our “Hope for America” livestream event, we gave away 40 Bibles. There definitely seems to be a growing hunger for God’s Word.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12 (ESV)
Here we are again, almost to New Year’s Day. Where did 2025 go? The upcoming year certainly reminds us of the swift passage of time.
I’m not sure exactly what state of mind you are in as you’re reading this devotional. I don’t know your specific excitement or trepidation for the new year. However, as a pastor, I know that many (most) (ALL?) people have seen pain and loss in 2025. Either firsthand or through the experiences of close loved ones.
I think this December has flown by faster than the rest of the year combined! Between all the parties, shopping, school events, movie nights, and church gatherings, the Christmas season sure has a way of eating up a lot of our time and energy. (And hear me when I say NONE of those things are bad!) They are absolutely wonderful gifts.
But if we’re not careful, we can get ourselves so busy doing Christmas ‘things’ that we don’t make room for the main thing: Christ Himself.
I think God has placed an innate sense of competition in our DNA (somewhere). This also includes a desire to run the race. Obviously, there’s more competition and desire in some people than others. Along with that, the race can mean a plethora of things to each of us. But one thing is certainly true. We undoubtedly all want to win. Nobody hopes to use their thumb and index finger to place an L on their forehead.
While a young boy, I believed I was very fast. As a young man, I was definitely full of myself. Consequently, I would sometimes challenge other men to a foot race. This typically happened at parties and get-togethers. I’d even challenge the occasional woman. In fact, my wife was one of them; we were both very competitive. I beat her handily, by the way. Alas, as age takes its cruel toll on us, we all slow down. Even the next generation eventually replaces professional athletes.
“16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” — James 5:16-17
Recently, I’ve been reading in the book of James. These verses reminded me of the power of prayer in a fresh way. James shows us that we experience healing, breakthrough, and spiritual strength through two simple but important practices: confession and earnest prayer.
Verse 16 calls us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that healing can flow. Confession certainly isn’t about earning forgiveness from Jesus. On the contrary, His grace already covered us at the Cross. Instead, confession is about walking in the light. It keeps the enemy from cornering us with shame and isolation. It also gives Believers permission to live in an honest, transparent, and grace-filled way. We begin to heal when we step into the light with a trusted community and invite God into our weakness.
Then James points to Elijah in verse 17. He writes of a man “as human as we are.” A man whose earnest prayers absolutely shaped the world around him. Elijah wasn’t perfect; he was simply willing. His life reminds us of something we should never forget. That fervent, faith-filled prayer from ordinary people invites extraordinary intervention from God.
These Verses Remind Us
Honesty opens the door to healing. Equally important, earnest prayer opens the door to God’s power. We don’t need to be spiritual giants. We just need to always surrender ourselves, be humble, and be willing to pray.
Considering this, is there something in your life He’s prompting you to confess so you can walk in the light? And how can you take steps today to pray in faith, believing He hears and responds?
Have you ever noticed how quick and easy it is to change your diet, clothes, or even your daily routine? But it’s pretty much impossible to change the way you think?? It doesn’t matter how hard you try to shut down certain thoughts. The same temptations and worries always sneak back in.
Well, that’s because the greatest struggle that you and I face each day isn’t around us. Instead, the battle is inside us. It’s in our minds.
Our culture today offers us all kinds of solutions. Download this app. Read this book. Think these thoughts. And some of those things may help for a moment. But, sooner or later, the same thoughts and worries absolutely return. No matter how disciplined or determined we are. We can never truly renew our hearts and our minds. Without a doubt, that work belongs to God alone.
