Giving Glory

09.06.14

Revelation 11.13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Glory is an interesting word, it means: 1. high renown or honor won by notable achievements;

2. magnificence; great beauty;  3. a luminous ring or halo, especially as depicted around the head of Jesus Christ or a saint. Used as a verb, it means: taking great pride or pleasure in. In Revelation 11.13, it says the survivors of a great earthquake gave glory to the God of heaven.

They gave God the credit for the earthquake. There are few things in life as terrifying to men as the earth moving under their feet. We commonly call that an act of God…

The reality if this is this: just because we give God glory (blame?),  doesn’t mean we give Him worship. The folks in Revelation 11, were doing anything but worship because that particular act of God didn’t get their attention – at least in a repenting way. (They didn’t seem to give God much glory when the two witnesses rose from the dead either.) What does it take to please you people?

Glory also means: weight. As in heavy; like gold. Gold is weighty. God is weighty but in a divine way; not in the physical sense. But understand: God is heavier than the physical. Matter means nothing to God; He controls it with just His speech. God’s presence is what made the mob and the Temple police fall flat on the ground in Gethsemane (John 18.6); those men didn’t stand a chance save the grace of God. (It’s a miracle only 7,000 died in the earthquake mentioned above.)

It’s this sense of honor, praise, and respect for the Presence that is strangely absent when men give God glory. Their hearts aren’t in it; all they are is befuddled and confounded at such happenings in nature that don’t have their stamp of approval (e.g. Katrina, Sandy, et al). So, I guess the best they can come up with is: God did it. The Blame game.

Giving glory to God is appropriate when we thank Him for Nature and her awesome and majestic and, yes, absolute lack of concern for mankind. Nature only takes her marching orders from One who created and controls it; and she doesn’t stop when men are in the crosswalk. Nature is beautiful but despite her beauty and power, man can’t seem to bend the knee and give God appropriate glory and thanks for the majesty of a sunrise or sunset. Mankind seems to like what he likes and piss at what he doesn’t. That doesn’t play well with God. I think the dealio is this: God knows what He is doing. Some know that, and respect it; others don’t. So sad for those who cop an attitude over what God does and doesn’t do.

Father, I see Your hand in all that is around me. It’s hard to believe that You are in the midst of the earthquake and the hurricane and the mudslides and the forest fires, but You are there and You know. Despite the carelessness of the natural world around us for not getting our permission to do what it does: this I know: You love us all. You love the ones who believe, and the ones who don’t; who only give You glory, when they can’t think of anything else to give. You are God and You use whatever it takes to get me to see You and respect You. It’s what’s best and may I live my life in public awe of all that happens around me – knowing You are in control. Amen.