Day 31: A Taste of Glory

by Duncan Parlett

Each day of this devotional series, we will consider key moments in God’s glorious plan to redeem us. We will understand both the overarching story of God and the highlights of all He’s done for us in Christ.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:4, New International Version

Not again!

My wife teases me for watching the same movies over and over again. But I enjoy them more the second (or third or fourth) time because I know what’s going to happen. I don’t worry when the hero or heroine encounters massive obstacles, because I know the story ends well.

The Rest of the Story

Lingering on the remote island of Patmos, the apostle John saw that God’s story ends well. We read about it in the book of Revelation. In a prophetic vision, the last living apostle of Christ experienced the end times. He predicted great trouble, wars, famines and chaos. Then Jesus will return to finish what He started — the full restoration of humankind. He will vanquish enemies, serve justice and make everything new.

God’s Glory

Moses has a fascinating exchange with the Lord in Exodus 33.

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’ Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’” – Exodus 33:17-18, New International Version

When we know God, He plants in us a hunger for His glory. We experience moments of glory now and then, tasting and seeing that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). We want more. We ache to fully realize all His beauty and majesty.

Comfort

Life is not easy. From personal struggles to worldwide conflicts, we are tempted to worry about many things. But it comforts us to know that God controls all things. Someday, whether we go to Him or He comes to us, we will experience His presence. We will fully realize what we have merely tasted. We will completely immerse ourselves in God’s glory and enjoy Him forever.

I enjoy movies where I know the ending. Whatever life brings, I won’t worry because I already know the glorious end of God’s amazing story.

Epilogue: More?

I’ve enjoyed our time together from Genesis to Revelation as we’ve scratched the surface of God’s awesome story. We’ve dropped in on key moments, met some significant characters and enjoyed some profound truths. We’ve seen the gracious arc of God’s redemptive plan in Christ. If you’ve enjoyed this, may I suggest reading through the entire Bible? Reading all of God’s story will bless you greatly.

I promise you’ll find it’s a story that gets better each time you hear it.

Next: Read the whole Bible. I encourage you to find a chronological Bible and learn all the details of this amazing story. As architect Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details.”

Questions:

Have you read or studied the Book of Revelation? If so, what did you think?
Does it comfort you to know the “end of the story” as presented in Revelation? Why or why not?
Do you long for God’s Glory? Why or why not?

Going Deeper:

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