Supremely Glorious

Yesterday was November 14th - that's wintertime, in my book.  And yet I wore short sleeves all afternoon/evening.  It felt like May!  I spontaneously went downtown with B. to take pictures, hang out, explore, and just geek out about the fact that we actually live in DC on one of the most gorgeous days ever! (Can you say happy camper!?)

And friends, what a glorious day I had reveling in the glory of the Lord!

I've spent the last four weeks putting my head down, blinders on, and plowing through the massive amount of work I've had to do.  My daily quiet time has been a lot of begging the Lord for adequate rest, for the patience and strength to honor Him amidst all the work and class and chaos.  There's been a lot of sleeping on my Sabbaths, and a lot of just trying to get through.

What a reminder yesterday was of the abundant joys of serving the Lord! I could not help but give praise to God for what he has provided me, and for what he has created! There are no words.

I could not stop myself from giving praise; during my quiet time yesterday evening, that was all I could do!  The Lord delights - yes, delights! - in bringing the sun up every morning, in painting beautiful sunsets each evening with colors only he could have imagined, in making the changing light ever more beautiful, in giving fellowship and joy to his beloved children.   And I was gracefully given the chance to experience that, even amidst a broken world.

The glory of the Lord.  

Do you get that friend?!  Let that sit for a moment.  THE GLORY OF THE LORD.  the glory of the Lord.  The GLORY of the Lord!  Whispered, shouted, proclaimed, wailed, cried amidst tears of joy or pain or persecution... all of it - the glory of the Lord! Do you understand what that means, what that entails?  Because if you do not - oh, what you are missing!!!  The Lord is jealous for the praise and glory of his name, and how he will display it, if only you will look at it! Examine the cross, and if you do not find in it the Lord's supreme purpose for his own glory, you are missing the point.  Re-examine, and look closer.  Let the whole weight of the glory of the Lord sink into you - you will never be (you cannot be) too full of it - so fill yourself as much as you can!

I cannot wait for the coming age when we get every moment of all of eternity to worship the most holy God!  What a joyful glimpse that was into the restoration to come! The more time I spend in the Word, the more I pray, learn, think, and seek God, the more joyful it is to praise his holy name.  I am perpetually and utterly beyond words at the greatness of God, and how he chooses to reveal this to us in such refreshing and unexpected ways.  It was a refreshing time with God and a dear friend, just living in praise of God - and there was nothing I would rather have done with my time on a Monday afternoon.