Yesterday, we began to look at pain, sorrow and suffering in the Christian Life as a means of our being able to seek, savor and thus display the comforting beauty of God to a world in need of comfort. We seek comfort, we seek beauty, and we seek to see or feel Glory. God’s created us so that He can share His love, His joy, and His glory with us. Yet, our finite minds though seeking that; get caught up in counterfeit love, counterfeit joy and counterfeit glory; unless the Spirit unveils the truth so that we might see the beauty of perfect righteousness, perfect love, and perfect joy as displayed on the cross when Jesus was willing to suffer and die to take the penalty for our sins. Perfect righteousness because He knew no sin. Perfect Love that was willing to sacrifice everything and take the full wrath that sin deserves upon Himself so as to restore a relationship with man allowing man to experience real love, real joy, and share in that beauty, that glory which was His in eternity past and future. Perfect Joy, a joy that comes as a final product when all those who would believe are gathered around the throne of heaven with him, was willing to take the shame of the cross forever looking forward to that joy that was to come. (much like a parent who sacrificially gives of themselves so that they might see the wonder of their children and then grandchildren as they develop into men and women of whom they are proud–though this even pales in comparison; I thought it might help some of you understand). When Moses stood upon the mount to receive the law written in stone, he was unable to look upon God’s full glory and beauty. A Glory so great that his own face reflected that glory and required a veil be placed. That veil became broken when Christ died on the cross, the ultimate display of Glory and beauty wrapped into one. Once you are able to see the display of Beauty and Glory that God would do such a thing for a world who rejected Him and sought after counterfeit beauties–how wondrously beautiful beyond our comprehension, only then can you begin to fathom His Glory displayed, His Beauty showcased as more deserving of our praise, worship, and awe than anything else we can seek after. Look at the following verses.
2 Corinthians 3: 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Once I begin to see the Glory and Beauty of the Lord and focus my gaze upon Him, seeking Him, savoring Him; I am transformed by the work of the Spirit. Little changes in my image, little glimpses of His Glory displayed by my actions. Ever so tiny at first are the changes; yet, little by little I lay aside other counterfeit desires to exchange them for His. As that happens the trivialities of this world fade into the background. Yes, I said trivialities, because however meaningful or important your moment of suffering or moment of joy in worldly things; they pale into nothingness when you begin to see the Magnificence of His Glory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvXOIVsRv4