Focus 40 - Day 23

The Brightness of His Glory

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

Jesus alone is the brightness of the glory of the Lord. He is the reflection of God’s excellence. And everywhere we look we see His glory. “Glory” refers to that which excels. The glory of a craftsman is his ability to create an extraordinary object out of an ordinary piece of material. The glory of an athlete is his ability to use his skill and seize the moment and turn it into the magnificent; a home run, a touchdown, a great catch, or to run across the finish line ahead of the pack.

Christ has come to bring every one of us into His glory (excellence). He wants to give us the capacity to obtain what seems unattainable. Heb. 2:10.  There is a recurring call to excellence in our society. All of us have a tendency of being satisfied with mediocrity. We are tempted to settle for less than our best. Christ has called us to glory. His desire is for His excellence to shine through us.

The human approach for excellence is wearying. It is filled with perfectionism, criticism, and competition. But that is not the way of Christ. His way is one filled with grace, goodness, mercy, and rest. 

To experience this glory we must abide by three great examples.

1. We must expect Christ’s excellence. “from glory to glory…..(2 Cor. 3:18)

2. We are called to approach Christ’s excellence.  God’s grace on our lives opens the door for us to approach. “Blessed is the man whom You choose, and cause to approach You, that you may dwell in Your courts.” 1 Timothy 6:15-15

3. We are called to witness and experience Christ’s excellence. Read Isa. 6:1-8

Using Isaiah’s experience, let us experience the Glory of the Lord.

1. Come worship and behold the awesomeness of God. “I saw the Lord…..high and lifted up. (Is.6:1)  The beginning of excellence is bowing before the Lord. The word  “saw” means Isaiah had no problem with his vision, nothing must obstruct our ability to see the Lord.

2. Open your heart to the purifying promise of God. The prophet proclaims that he is a man of unclean lips and dwells with a people of unclean lips.  We must be willing to cast aside every evil.

3. We must allow God to work to mature you and prepare you for service. Isaiah cries out for cleansing. His desire is to  work for the Lord “Here am I, send me. (Is.6:8).

But to receive your mission, your service orders you will need to quiet yourself before the Lord and to saturate yourself with the brightness of God’s glory.