The Hope Of Glory
When it is all said and done, everything points to Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, the Messiah, who makes known the Heavenly Father and lives in you.
“If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her...Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Deuteronomy 25:5, 13-19
Two principles emerge from this passage on how to live best in community according to God's ways. The first principle is that we all need hope to keep moving forward. Why does the brother in law need to marry the widow? The principle teaches us that children are the hope of the future. They are the lineage and inheritance that God gives that our legacies will live through. What happens to a widow who has no children and cannot remarry? She loses her hope. How are you pouring into future generations? How could you help someone see that there is hope for tomorrow by coming alongside them today?
The second principle that emerges is that our lives are meant to glorify God. Would it not benefit us to use differing scales? In the kingdom of God, we are not meant to look to take advantage of others. Our decisions have a cost and God teaches us that relationships matter more than net profit on tax returns. What happens when the people of God to not live in a way that glorify God? People turn away. Are your words, actions and attitudes pointing to Jesus? There is a cost to greed. It has been said that we might be the only bible that people ever read. How could you grow in living a life that glorifies God more than getting what you can?
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.”
Psalms 28:1-2, 7-9
David breaks down both where he finds his hope and how his life gives God glory. He says that his hope is found in the God who gives him strength and is his shield. Why do you think these two aspects of his relationship with God speak to Him? How do they speak to you? Where do you need strength? Is it not in the areas where you feel weak and most vulnerable? David says God is my strength to fight the good fight, to keep moving forward, to walk in hope.
David went through the same things we go through. Jesus says you will have trouble and the truth is you need a shield. Both the enemy and the opposition you face in life will fire arrows of fear, anxiety, and doubt in your direction. You will face times that make you question your identity and what God has in store for you. It is in these moments that you need a shield. Jesus knows what you are going through and what you need and He steps in between to protect you. He is your shield. Where could you call on Jesus to be your shield today?
David says with my song I will praise him. He does not say I will praise him when things are good or when I stop worrying. He simply says no matter what I will glorify God. David might not have been free of problems, but he did have a heart at peace. How will you glorify God with your praise today?
“Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence...If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink...the Lord will reward you. It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to search out matters that are too deep. Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
Proverbs 25:2, 6, 15, 21-22, 27-28
Solomon shares two insights about how to draw close to the hope we find in God through humility and how to glorify God through our generosity. God is reshaping how we think about how to live a life of faith. What is one message that you see in the world we live in that might be counter to living with a mind fixed on the hope we find in Jesus? The message of the world is get all you can, exalt yourself, and measure your life by your power and possessions. Does this message help us find meaning in our life?
Solomon teaches a better way. The Jesus way. He says you will have more hope when you are humble. He says that pride keeps you from experiencing the fullness of God's presence. The hope of those who are in Christ is the abiding we get from His presence and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Does it not reason then that anything or anyone that comes in between us and experiencing God's presence is getting in the way of our hope?
Solomon says love is unconditional. Generosity is one of the best expressions of love in our world. How do you decide who you bless or where you give? Is it only to people you like or organizations you like? Jesus said love your enemies and so does Solomon. One of the practices that most gives God glory is giving unconditionally. It is good to give to organizations and people you like, but it is important to be open to following the Holy Spirit leading you in generosity to all people. Who gets the glory when our giving is unconditional and unexpected? Only God.
"Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle...before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth...there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule...there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns...As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him...there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:2-7, 9-10, 13-14
How does it impact the hope you have of what is to come when you read prophetic words in scripture? Daniel receives the revelation of a Savior who was led into the presence of God, given authority, glory, and dominion who will oversee an everlasting kingdom. Sound like anyone you know? These words were written long before Jesus ever set foot on the earth. God knows it helps grow our hope and expectations when He tells us before things happen, how things will happen. God told us long before Jesus, that Jesus would come, and reign forever.
God give Jesus the glory. Why do you think that is? What did Jesus do with that glory? Did He uses it to exalt himself and leverage the authority He was given to force people to follow Him? No, Jesus models the way. He shows us that as we receive glory, we receive it in a way that empowers us to serve the world. We are equipped so we can humbly help others learn what it is to walk in the hope of glory that is found in Jesus Christ. What will you do with the glory you have been given today?
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross...He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation...the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:3-6, 9-17, 19-22, 25-27
You were made by Jesus to live for Jesus. Like sheep, we have all wandered like the one who left the ninety-nine. Jesus brought us back. Through the blood He shed on the cross we have been reconciled into right relationship with the One who has watched over every day of our lives and who promises us the hope of heaven. Jesus is generosity. He is hope. He is the glory of God revealed that came so that we might receive Christ in us and become the hope of glory to others. How does that change the measure of success in your life? How can this truth change what you value and how you live out your values?
Paul says that everything points to Jesus and that we should point to Jesus. What is the will of God? Paul says it is that you would know who you are to Him and learn to live by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. Does the saving grace of Jesus mean that we can take it easy as we punch our ticket on the train to heaven one day? Absolutely not. Paul says you are invite to a life of loving impact. You are equipped and empowered so that your life would reflect the glory of God you have been given. God has good works that He planned in advance for you to do. Jesus said in Matthew 25 that we become God's hands and feet to the world.
Receiving the free gift of salvation does not give us a free pass to do nothing. The life worthy of the gift we have been given, centered in Christ, is one that responds with endurance, patience, and gratitude to the inheritance received. Why are these three characteristics critical to following Christ? Like David, we will need strength and a shield to fulfill our calling. We need hope to keep us moving through the hard times and the help of the glory of God living in us to feed our enemies.
Lastly, Paul encourages us to hold fast to a heart that gives thanks to God so that the joy of the Lord that comes from a generous life would give us strength for each day. Does living out a life of serving God with a frown glorify God? If we are reflections of God's glory then we learn to serve with a smile and let the attractiveness of following Jesus Christ show on our faces. What will people see when they see you today? Will they see Jesus? Will you let your light shine that others would be drawn to Him and receive the greatest gift you can help give which is Christ in them, the hope of glory?