BE GLORIFIED

BE GLORIFIED, O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

". . .Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him."

Over the last several months, a paticular Scripture has been continuing in my heart and mind, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'  This verse coupled with two paticular chorus songs have been a daily experience for me: 'Lord, Be Glorified' and 'Glorify Thy Name'.  Singing, praying these verses and songs have been extended for months and every day, 'morning, noon and night'.  Last night in my 'midnight  prayer' time the Lord's precious Holy Spirit brought it all together and revealed greater and richer truths to me for understanding, praying and knowing God's best.

I had prayed earlier in the day Zechariah 12:1, 'the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the founddation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.'  This verse was the foundation for all the other things to bring it togetehr.  And I realized at that moment, that the Lord had been patiently, longsuffering, with me to reveal this.  How hard I had been to wait and see; to discern; to hear.  It makes you wonder of how much spiritual depths we miss because of our own reluctance.  But I praise Him and thank Him for this and pray that I can share it and it may be a blessing to your prayer life as well.

Let us hear what the Spirit is saying. . .

The shorter catechism teaches that right off the bat, the #1 point of our existnece, yea, of all creation is to bring glory to God.  A fixed point that is lost in this humanistic society.  Most think this world and life is about them and for them.   Very few see the greater picture of eternity and spent even less time preparing for eternity.  JOnathan Edwards prayed it and so should we, 'Stamp eternity on my eyeballs.' 

Since this is God's desire and will, that He be glorified, how can we glorify Him? and how is He glorified already? 

The three aspects of creation in this verses of Zechariah gives us our places - heaven, earth and man.
We will examine each of these three places in detail to see the extent to which God is glorified, or should be glorified.

1.  HEAVEN

'In the beginning God  created the heavens and the earth.'  All of this existence is from God, Who is the Creator of all things.  All things were created by and for Him.  The purpose of His creation is to bring glory to Him.  The examination of the heavens and how they glorify Him is an opporutnity for us to learn and glean so that we might join with them in praise and honor. 

Paul declares, 'I knew a man caught up to the third heaven. . .'  The three levels of heaven are defined for us to examine and know about.   But for our part let us see the difference between this spiritual heaven, where God abides and is; and the physical heaven, which contains the sun, moon and stars.

Physical heaven is the atompshere of this universe and that which is contained above us.  We step outside and look up and we see the 'heavens'.  We read in Genesis that God created the heavens; He then set the sun, moon and stars of the universe and it began in its being.  Is there any that can create like God?  Absolutely not.  Glory unto God the great Creator of all things in the heavens.  We see the truth of these verses and we know that He is the fashioner of it all.  Glory unto God!

Of the description in the Bible of 3 heaven's, here we see in the creation text, two of those three.  We see the heaven above us, which is our very atomsphere.  And we see the second heaven or heavens, which is the universe and that which is contained in it.  Heaven and heavens of this physical plain, and God is glorified in all of it, for it is His creation.

Spiritual heaven is God's residing place.  Paul referred to it as the third heaven, we know it to be the place where our Lord is.  In Revelation, John got a view of the heavens and declared what he could of it.  'to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord' in heaven where He is.  HEre in this place is constanct glorfiying of Him.  IN Revealtion alone, there is multiple verses that give place to the angels, to the 24 elsders, to the saints and all His subjects bowed before Him giving glory.

2.  EARTH

'The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thererof'.  All that is found in this creation comes from God, is held by God and shall be removed by God.  This earth is His creation as we see the days of creation in Genesis 1 unfold.  He separated the waters and allowed for dry land to be;  He caused the seeds, plants, vegation and trees to take root and grow and produce.  He established time by the depth of His ability to make all things 'in an orderly fashion'.  think about how the earth is just in a right gravational position.  If it moves off course one way or the other, everything is out of balance.  Perfectly set and maintained.

Season and time is set into motion here on this earth.  Four season: winter, spring, summer and fall are brought into place by this creation of God.  And in each season, God is glorified to the highest for the splendor and magnificence of His ability and ways.  I, by God's mercy, live in a place that experiences all 4 seasons.  And each season brings its beauty and marvel out to reveal God's glory in creation of this earth. 
--in winter - although dead and lifeless in vegetation, brown grass and cold; it is beauty of His handiwork in snow falls, winter habitations of animals and the realtity that before life there must be death.  Winter last but a short while, and the days are short and the nights are long, but then, everything changes and the days begin to lengthen and then the temperatures begin to warm.  And as thankful for such things, you appreciate a cold, snowy winter that must have its place to bring on the next. 
--in spring - spring brings colors, life, warmth and fruitfulness; 




3.  MAN

'Let us make man in Our image, after Our Own likeness'.  'He formed man of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul'.  Man was made by God, for God.  And as man bears His image, so we are to bear His image for His Own glory.  Sin has set us against Him and removes His glory.  Restoration into a right relationship with God through Christ restores the image of being found in fashion as He.

'Let this mind be in you which was in Christ'.