Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps. My soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves.
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! (vs. 6-8)
"The glory of God is man fully alive." St. Irenaeus
"For me to live is Christ." St. Paul
I got very sidetracked just now on the phrase "Awake, my glory!" Don't feel so glorious yet today. Hair less than perfect, barely brushed. Just wiped the sleep residue from my eyes as I put my glasses on my nose. My work-out outfit doesn't match. And I haven't finished all my coffee yet. Thank God my glory has little to do with me.
kabowd: weight in a good sense, splendor, glory, majesty, wealth. Hmmm. In this psalm my glory is linked to His. Let Your glory be over all the earth! In light of this, I speak to my glory....."Wake up!"
St. Irenaeus clarifies this for me. My glory exists because of His glory residing in me. Christ in me, the hope of glory. The fact that He resides among us gives our lives weightiness. Eminence. The glory of the cross. The depth of its meaning. The power of the resurrection, sealing salvation for all who come. The mystery of the incarnation in Christ and in us. That our God has made provision for His people to be fully alive even in death. The seamless transfer of our true selves into His kingdom forever. Alive.
I know there are times when we go through the valley....any valley...and become weary and forget in the battle that we are glorious. Victorious. Splendid. Trudging through terminal illnesses, divorce, or financial ruin can strip us of all but the need to survive. I think that is what was happening to David. All of his energy was spent battling the enemy. Running away. Thinking his way out of a one-on-one battle with God's anointed. No time for godly self-talk. I don't know what struck him on the day he wrote this psalm. What turned his mind around. A momentary victory, perhaps. But, whatever the circumstance, he stopped and looked up. Saw the goodness of God, which is His glory (Ex.33). Counted his blessings.
"I think I will sing!" David decided. "I will write a song to my God!"
To himself: Awake, my glory! Because somewhere along the line I forgot I was splendid, made in Your image, created with purpose and designed for a weighty cause only I can fulfill.
Awake, O harp and lyre! Bursting with a renewed desire to glorify the One Who makes men and women fully alive! Wake up to the joy of knowing a Father Who battles with us, not just for us. Lives in us, not just over us. Get ahold of that truth, soul! And rejoice!
I will awake the dawn! Hear me, world! Wake up with me! Night is over. Darkness is past. Light is peeking through. The glory of God illuminates, chases away whatever hides ingloriously in the shadows. Wake up to God. He is good. He loves us. We are reflections of His glory. Bearers of His Eminence. Live! Fully! Today!
Our God is sovereign over all things - life and death. With love so great He traded His glory for ignominy, His life for death, our lives for His. So that....He could live in us, not for us. So His kabowd could reside in us, making us fully alive. Forever.
For me to live is Christ.....and to die is gain. St. Paul
They set a net for my steps. My soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves.
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! (vs. 6-8)
"The glory of God is man fully alive." St. Irenaeus
"For me to live is Christ." St. Paul
I got very sidetracked just now on the phrase "Awake, my glory!" Don't feel so glorious yet today. Hair less than perfect, barely brushed. Just wiped the sleep residue from my eyes as I put my glasses on my nose. My work-out outfit doesn't match. And I haven't finished all my coffee yet. Thank God my glory has little to do with me.
kabowd: weight in a good sense, splendor, glory, majesty, wealth. Hmmm. In this psalm my glory is linked to His. Let Your glory be over all the earth! In light of this, I speak to my glory....."Wake up!"
St. Irenaeus clarifies this for me. My glory exists because of His glory residing in me. Christ in me, the hope of glory. The fact that He resides among us gives our lives weightiness. Eminence. The glory of the cross. The depth of its meaning. The power of the resurrection, sealing salvation for all who come. The mystery of the incarnation in Christ and in us. That our God has made provision for His people to be fully alive even in death. The seamless transfer of our true selves into His kingdom forever. Alive.
I know there are times when we go through the valley....any valley...and become weary and forget in the battle that we are glorious. Victorious. Splendid. Trudging through terminal illnesses, divorce, or financial ruin can strip us of all but the need to survive. I think that is what was happening to David. All of his energy was spent battling the enemy. Running away. Thinking his way out of a one-on-one battle with God's anointed. No time for godly self-talk. I don't know what struck him on the day he wrote this psalm. What turned his mind around. A momentary victory, perhaps. But, whatever the circumstance, he stopped and looked up. Saw the goodness of God, which is His glory (Ex.33). Counted his blessings.
"I think I will sing!" David decided. "I will write a song to my God!"
To himself: Awake, my glory! Because somewhere along the line I forgot I was splendid, made in Your image, created with purpose and designed for a weighty cause only I can fulfill.
Awake, O harp and lyre! Bursting with a renewed desire to glorify the One Who makes men and women fully alive! Wake up to the joy of knowing a Father Who battles with us, not just for us. Lives in us, not just over us. Get ahold of that truth, soul! And rejoice!
I will awake the dawn! Hear me, world! Wake up with me! Night is over. Darkness is past. Light is peeking through. The glory of God illuminates, chases away whatever hides ingloriously in the shadows. Wake up to God. He is good. He loves us. We are reflections of His glory. Bearers of His Eminence. Live! Fully! Today!
Our God is sovereign over all things - life and death. With love so great He traded His glory for ignominy, His life for death, our lives for His. So that....He could live in us, not for us. So His kabowd could reside in us, making us fully alive. Forever.
For me to live is Christ.....and to die is gain. St. Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment