Abide || October 24

The Glory of God — kavod.

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“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” — Psalm 19:1, NIV

We, as believers, use the word “glory” quite a bit. We sing about it, pray for it, read about it, give God glory, ask him to reveal his glory, and often declare that everything we do should be “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). But what exactly are we talking about? What is the glory of God? And what does it mean for us, who were created to reflect it? How do we live out 1 Corinthians 10:31?

Have you ever been out in a dark field or on a dark beach (or just the middle of nowhere), looked up, and seen the vastness of the stars above? Nothing quite compares to truly comprehending the cosmos's infinitude or the power of rolling waves. Even more, nothing compares to the greatness, power, infinitude, and sovereignty of the one who created it all. Creation reflects his glory; the stars and the sea cannot help but display his greatness. When we marvel at the stars, the sea, the mountains, or other parts of Creation, we cannot help but feel the weight of how small we are and how big our God is; how utterly dependent we are on his wonderful independence—the weight of his glory.

The Hebrew word commonly translated as “glory” in the Old Testament is kavod (כָּבוֹד), also transliterated as kabowd. According to Strong’s Concordance (Hebrews H3519), it comes from the Hebrew root kabad (H3513), meaning “to be heavy” or “weighty.” It carries the ideas of honor, splendor, abundance, significance, and worth. Interestingly, the same root is used in the commandment to “honor” our father and mother (Exodus 20:12). To honor someone is, in a sense, to treat them as weighty, worthy of respect and consideration.

So when we speak of the “glory” of God, we are talking about the immeasurable weight of his majesty, holiness, beauty, power, goodness, and worth. God’s glory is not something he earns or receives because others recognize his greatness. It belongs to him because of who he is. His glory is the infinite weight of his divine worth, the splendor of his character, and the majesty of his presence made known.

Throughout Scripture, we see that his glory is not some abstract description of his greatness. At times, his glory is astonishingly visible. God’s glory appeared in the cloud that accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness and filled the tabernacle so completely that Moses could not enter (Exodus 40:34-35). Later, when Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of the Lord filled it so powerfully that the priests could not continue their service (1 Kings 8:10-11). Quite the interruption!

“Now show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18, NIV).

This request from Moses might just be the boldest request in the Bible. Like, goodness gracious, Moses, who do you think you are? But God responds by promising to cause his goodness to pass before Moses and proclaim his name, while protecting him in the cleft of a rock because no one could see his face and live. God says, "My glory is so consuming and amazing that you will die if you encounter it fully”—Moses says, “Show me what you’ve got!” And God does!! Mic drop.

So we see his glory! In Exodus 34:6-7, God reveals himself as compassionate, gracious, patient, abounding in love and faithfulness, and perfectly just. Notice what God reveals in response to Moses’ request to see his glory—not simply overwhelming power or brightness, but the very nature of his character. God’s glory is a revelation of who he is.

David tells us that the heavens declare this glory (Psalm 19:1), while Isaiah describes the heavenly beings crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3, NIV). Creation bears witness to the greatness of its Creator, revealing something of his power, wisdom, and beauty.

The New Testament introduces an even greater revelation. The Greek word for glory is doxa (δόξα), which expresses honor, splendor, majesty, and recognized excellence. (Strong’s Greek G1391). And in Jesus Christ, God’s glory was revealed in human form. John 1:14 declares, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory” (NIV). Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (NIV).

The invisible God made himself known through Jesus Christ! We see his compassion toward the suffering, mercy toward sinners, his holiness, his wisdom, and his extraordinary love. The same God whose glory filled the temple took on human flesh and washed his disciples’ feet. His glory is revealed not only through magnificent displays of divine power in the Old Testament, but also through the humility and self-giving love of Christ in the New Testament.

In Isaiah 43, God speaks to his people with extraordinary affection. He calls them precious and honored in his sight, tells them he loves them, and promises to gather his sons and daughters from the ends of the earth (none of which they deserved). Then in verse 7, he describes them as “everyone who is called by name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (NIV, emphasis added).

God declares that his people were created for his glory. We were never meant to exist apart from our Creator, pursue our own significance, or attempt to manufacture our own worth. (Honestly, when you really meditate on it, self-promotion actually makes zero sense—we want to make sure we look the “best” amongst other imperfect, ordinary human beings, and then we all die… interesting.) Humanity was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), created to know him, enjoy fellowship with him, and reflect something of his character to the world around us. We don't have to create our worth for ourselves; it comes from the One who created us.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).

Uh oh! The very humanity created to bear God’s image and reflect his glory has fallen short. Sin has distorted the relationship we were created to enjoy and the way we were meant to represent him. We cannot restore that fellowship or make ourselves righteous through our own efforts, no matter how impressive we might become in the eyes of the world.

But there is hope! Through Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed, and as we abide in him, the Holy Spirit is transforming us to reflect his likeness more fully (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Okay, but what does any of this mean for us? What does it actually mean to do everything for the glory of God, as Paul instructs in 1 Corinthians 10:31? (a.k.a. sister, quit nerding out and get to the life application!)

Personally, I think the answer is a lot simpler than it may feel. A life that glorifies God is the natural overflow of a life that knows him. That’s it!—when we recognize the infinite weight of who God is, when we seek his presence, abide in his Word, and desire to become more like Jesus, that relationship begins to shape everything else. Our thoughts, words, attitudes, decisions, and actions increasingly reflect the character of the One we are spending time with. We are not trying to do things that look spiritual or impressive; we are allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into people who better represent God.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we will always get it right (speaking from plenty of experience!). We are still imperfect people in the process of being sanctified. But even when we fall short, we can glorify God through repentance, acknowledging our need for his grace, and allowing the Holy Spirit to correct and guide us. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are being transformed into Christ’s image with ever-increasing glory. It is an ongoing work of God within us, not something we accomplish through our own efforts.

I think of the hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, written by Helen H. Lemmel (in 1918!):

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in his wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

in the light of His glory and grace.”

The more clearly we see Jesus, the more accurately we begin to see everything else. His glory changes our perspective, our priorities, and ultimately the way we live. What once seemed so important begins to lose its grip on us as we recognize the incomparable worth of the One before us.

In his book Desiring God, John Piper writes, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” The more we come to know God and delight in his presence, the less we feel the need to pursue our own glory. The God who created us for his glory also offers us the fullness of joy in his presence (Psalm 16:11). Our greatest satisfaction is not found in making something of ourselves, but in knowing the One who made us.

Which brings us back to kavod—when we truly comprehend the infinite weight and worth of knowing God, everything else falls into its proper place. The things we look to for identity, fulfillment, or significance cannot compare with the God who created us. We can recognize that our worth is not determined by what we accomplish, what others think of us, or how much recognition we receive, but by the God who lovingly created us in his image and redeemed us through Christ.

We were created for his glory, redeemed by his grace, transformed by his Spirit, and invited to find our greatest joy in his presence. As we continue to know him more deeply, our thoughts, words, and actions increasingly reflect his character and join in with all his creation, declaring: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Which brings him GLORY!

The more we come to know the glory of God, the more we begin to understand the extraordinary gift of belonging to him.

So how do we do all things to the glory of God? Simple—we seek to know him more deeply, allow him to transform us day by day, and our lives will glorify him as his presence overflows in us. Sounds a lot like abiding to me!

This Week’s Reflection

Consider how you understand the glory of God. Have you thought of his glory primarily as something magnificent to behold, or have you considered how it reveals the very nature of his character—his holiness, love, goodness, mercy, and infinite worth?

Think about what carries the most weight in your life. Are your thoughts, decisions, priorities, and sense of worth shaped more by your circumstances and the opinions of others, or by the God who created you for his glory?

As you spend time with the Lord, ask him to deepen your understanding of who he is and allow that knowledge to transform the way you live. Remember, glorifying God is not about appearing more spiritual or achieving perfection. A life that glorifies God is the natural overflow of a life that knows him. Seek his presence, delight in his character, and allow the Holy Spirit to continue transforming you into the image of Christ.

If you'd like to spend more time exploring the glory of God, here are some beautiful passages to study (and perhaps a few to memorize!):

1 Chronicles 16:28–29; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 3:23; Colossians 3:17; 2 Peter 1:3; Revelation 4:11.

Keep walking with Jesus, friends.

bytaylormcgee