October 19 | Exodus 14:1-4

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DAILY READING

Exodus 14:1-4

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REFLECTION

On Display

By Mary Alice McGinnis

Has there been a time in your life that you have seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away? The experience overwhelmed all your senses, far beyond your ability to describe it. Even pictures could not capture its exquisiteness.

Imagine being in this lavender field in France. How would you explain it to someone?

Beauty is not easily described. But when it is put on display, we recognize it. We can point to it and say, “That is beautiful!”

God’s Glory is like that. It is beyond description. In a sermon by John Piper, he tries to capture it this way: “The glory of God is the manifest beauty of His holiness. It’s the way He puts His holiness on display for people to apprehend.” And “The glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.”

We see God putting His divine, incomparable, infinite beauty and holiness on display all throughout Scripture.

Isaiah 6:3 says, “And (the angels) were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.’”'

In today’s reading, we find something curious. God puts His glory on display through opposition. He uses Pharaoh, a prideful ruler who only wanted glory for himself. The weight of God’s magnificent Glory cannot be diminished by this one prideful ruler whose heart refused to acknowledge God’s divine Sovereignty. In fact, the opposite happened. Because of Pharaoh’s hardened heart, God’s glory radiated for all to see. It was undeniable. It was recognized by the Egyptians, the Israelites, and to all the surrounding nations who heard about it. Even now, you and I are witnesses of God’s glory through this story.

God’s glory is on display all around us everyday! In fact, this is what we were made for. We were born to put God’s Glory on display. But we have all fallen short of God’s plan for our lives, to display His powerful glory. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

God’s most powerful display of his glory came through the darkest moment in history – when Jesus laid down His life to redeem us.

My life verse is from 2 Corinthians 4:6-7: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

I am overwhelmed by the beauty of God's glory. I am in awe at how "He puts His holiness on display for people to apprehend" most perfectly in the face of Jesus Christ! He invites me and you to reflect the beauty of His glory.

PRAYER

Jesus, put Your infinite glory on display! Help us to see it. Keep us from hardening our hearts in pride against You. Forgive us for falling so desperately short. Wash us clean, make us new! Use us - simple jars of clay - to reflect the glorious light of the face of Jesus Christ in our dark world today.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARY ALICE MCGINNIS

I began reading the Bible for the first time at the age of 14. When I read the book of Proverbs, I found this collection of practical wisdom both challenging and inspiring. Instead of the typical posters you might find on a teenager’s bedroom walls, my room was splashed with handmade posters - quotes from the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs unique way of expressing deep truths helped lay a foundation in my walk with God.

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