Those are the words that were spoken to me yesterday about a financial situation. ‘There has been a tangible decline’. I looked at the figures and sadness came over me as I saw how what used to be is no more. It is a very difficult situation to live under when there are just echoes of what used to be.
Israel started out like with fruitful potential, like ‘grapes in a desert’ God found her. But she chose a lifestyle of idolatry and as a result … “Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, no conception. Even if they rear children, I will bereave them of every one. Woe to them when I turn away from them!” (Hosea 9 v 11-12)
Israel’s glory is their population and it will diminish. Being moved into exile their numbers will decline
The word ‘glory’ in the Bible means ‘weighty, heavy’ and refers to the presence of God.
Nothing can change the presence of God. Nothing can affect His glory. It is unchanging. He will be where He wants to be. However His glory is not what is under scrutiny, it is our glory.
Our glory is the original condition mankind was created with.
Adam lost it because he wanted to be somebody else instead of being happy with who God created.
Adam lost it for us and Jesus gave it back to us but we keep on losing it because we want to be somebody else other than who God made.
We want to be and we want to have and we pursue this at all costs even if that cost is our glory.
We exchange our glory for idolatry. Hosea has taught us so much about idols. They exist in our world and they are the one reason for losing our glory.
The question is always this: is that image the image of Jesus? If it is not, then you are in danger of losing your glory.
Keep your glory: it is who you are created to be.
Missions Paul 