Riding In The Glory

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ~Exodus 13:21

The road was straight before me as I began a new chapter in my life. The day was bright and my heart filled with expectation as I pulled away from the place that I had lived for so long. And as the trip began, I got so very excited. You see, a friend of mine had allowed me to have their sign that read "Glory Zone". In anticipation of my trip, I had placed it in my vehicle in the front window. And I began to get excited about the prospect of the glory of God going before me wherever the road may lead.

 

I realized not long into the trip that I felt much like the Children of Israel must have felt. I felt as though my car was covered by God's grace and mercy and that every step away was a step towards God. It's hard to describe except to say that I felt like I had a pillar of a cloud and fire leading the way. Even as flash storms hit, the reflection of the sign in the front window seemed to almost clear a path ahead in a symbolic way. It truly felt as though we had been riding with His glory.

So often, we get ahead of God or fall behind. We either move too quickly and try to make things happen that we think God is saying for our lives or we lag behind as though our spiritual feet are in quick sand. But what God wants us to remember is that how we move is like a dance with Him--He moves, we move (just like that). We have to be so in tuned with our partner (the Lord) that we move with the cloud and stay put when it does the same. In fact, there's a passage of scripture in Isaiah that says that if we put righteousness ahead of us, 'the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard'. As we traverse the terrain of this battlefield of life, when we put our ego and selfish desires to the side and focus fully on God getting the glory, it is that very glory that protects us. I read somewhere that the "rear guard" of an army is often responsible for ensuring that the lines of battle are secure.

Today, God wants to secure your situation. He wants to cover you with the pillar that keeps you moving in the right direction. He is yearning for you to ride in the glory zone. To get in the zone, it takes focus, it takes faith and it takes fortitude. You have to be willing to put aside your own "stuff" and trust God in all aspects of your life. It's easier said than done, but today be encouraged that it is possible to live and ride consistently in the glory zone if you press through and believe that He has truly got your back.

Blessings,
PastorA

Don't Sit In It

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:8-9

One of the down sides to public transportation is that it tends to be a somewhat grimy experience. Even in the nicest of trains, planes and automobiles there's something about the fact that it is a shared space that has often left me feeling like I need a shower or hand sanitizer at the very least. Most times during my days on public transportation, I found myself going through a small ritual of examining seats carefully for the best of the worst and steering clear of any seat that seemed suspect because of moisture or a spot that didn't look quite right. And I wasn't alone. I'd watch as most riders would do the same--opting to stand over a long ride than sit in a mess.

When it comes to our outside environment, we are quick to draw reasonable boundaries that help us to stay out of germ's way. So it occurred to me that it's odd that we don't translate that same meticulous nature to our emotional and spiritual environments alike. There are times when we wallow in negativity and allow ourselves to be consumed by the mayhem of life. But the scripture advises us differently. We are to meditate on things that are true, noble, pure, lovely and just plain good. I realize that that is easier said than done. There are things in life that seem to plague our minds and bog us down. Perhaps it is the financial concerns on how you are going to make ends meet. Or maybe a relationship that has you consumed. But despite the fact that these things consume us, God is not consumed. He is concerned but not consumed. He hasn't forgotten about you in the midst of your trial. He knows the end already and is watching as time catches up with the blessings He has preordained.

Today, be encouraged to check around the seat of your life and refuse to ride in mess. Though concerns may come, cancel consumption. Though your nature may be to lose sleep, allow God to give you great rest and know that, if you let Him, the God of peace will be with you through it all.

Blessings,
PastorA