By Ese Ikoba
Holy, Holy is the Lord almighty, the whole earth is full of His glory. (Isaiah 6:3) Welcome to your year to
swim in glory. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalms
19:1) Thus the glory of God is the manifestation of His holiness. In other words, the glory of God is the
beauty of God. As you all know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, it is ever changing. The more you
spend time with someone or something, the further you understand and appreciate the beauty of that
thing. The thing may not have changed, you just understand it better. Another analogy is the change of
leaves at different seasons. Some people have a preference for one season versus another. For example, a
person may describe the sparkling of snow as the reason of why winter is the most beautiful season while
others may describe that the oneness of the green leaves alludes to a certain serenity and calmness as the
reason why spring and summer are the most beautiful. While others will further argue that the bold, and
different colors of the leaves during autumn is indication that fall is the most beautiful season. Similar to
the previous example, the manifestation of God’s glory is experienced at different levels as you grow
more intimately in Him. “ For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the
waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14).
The Glory of God is a personal encounter so face it directly.
But do you read the following verses such as Ezekiel 1:27-28 and fear God? “ And I saw as the colour of
amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and
from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had
brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the
appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the
LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
Is God intimidating to you or is fear limiting you or becoming a resistance with experiencing the glory of
God? Exodus 24:15-17 “And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the
glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he
called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring
fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” Moses is also man, a human being who
sought after God and as a result got near to Him. Ask yourself, how is your relationship with God. Does
God know you? Is He proud to call you son or daughter, can He trust you to show you His glory? In
Exodus 33: 17-23 “And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou
hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD
before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew
mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD
said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my
glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass
by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.”
Moses was someone who was privileged to experience God’s glory. But God still had to shield and
protect him. As God’s glory is described as something very fierce, I would like to encourage you not to be
afraid to go deeper into your experience with Him. Just as God protected Moses, He will surely guide you
and protect you as you swim deeper into his glory. Do not be left standing as a spectator watching from
the outside, challenge yourself, swim from the swallow end and dive deeper.
The Glory of the Lord is our guide.
We discussed earlier that Moses experienced the glory of God. Other individuals in the bible experienced
the glory of God. Acts 7:1-3 points out that Abraham also experienced the glory of God and God directed
him. “Then said the high priest, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken;
The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in
Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land
which I shall shew thee.”
The glory of the Lord guided the people as seen in Exodus 13:20-22 “And they took their journey from
Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in
a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day
and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the
people.” So in this new year, rejoice in the knowledge that God who directs from the creation of the earth
will direct your path. In all things, we should give thanks to God.
Ephesians 1:16-18 states “ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
Jesus Christ is not only the guide but the gateway in swimming in glory. 1 Peter 5:9-11 states “Whom
resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in
the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye
have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion
for ever and ever. Amen.”
As the glory of the Lord is made manifest in your life, Joy will be abundant in your life and sorrow will
cease. Isaiah 60:18-20 states “no longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within
your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your
light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the
LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”
The glory of God will continue to shine brighter in us as we allow Christ and the holy spirit to dwell
amongst us and perfect us in His likeness by making room for Him in our lives. Revelation 21:3, 22-24
“ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will
dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God… And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And
the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and
the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the
kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”
In our ever-changing world with the busyness of daily struggles, remember that there’s nothing new under
the sun. There is a season for everything. Continue to permit God to dwell and guide you and allow His
glory to shine brighter. Ecclesiates 1:4 and 9 declares that “One generation passeth away, and another
generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever… The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and
that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Welcome to a
new decade. Thanks be to the Lord Almighty who has brought us thus far.
Shouts of Praise
Praising God is our way of giving Him glory as described in Revelation 14:6-8 “ And I saw another angel
fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory
to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and the fountains of waters.”
We should thank him from separating us from things of darkness and saving our souls. 1 Chronicles
16:34-36 states “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. And say ye,
Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may
give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever.
And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.” Also we are reminded in Psalms 62:6-8 “He only is
my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart
before him: God is a refuge for us.”
Shouting in Praise is a way of exclaiming the glory of God as seen in Ezekiel 43:2 “And, behold, the
glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters:
and the earth shined with his glory.”
Earlier, the question was can God trust you, now the question is do you trust God, and do you believe He
will do what you are asking for? How do you show you faith, trust and complete surrender to God? Here
in this example in John 11:39-41, the first thing Jesus did was to give thanks to God. “Jesus said, Take ye
away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for
he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou
shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” Trust in God, walk
in assurance that Jesus Christ in your savior and that he will give you the desires of your heart according
to His riches and glory. 1 Corinthians 4:5-7 says “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
not of us.”
Praising God can break barriers as illustrated in the story about the wall of Jericho in Joshua chapter 6.
The additional ingredient of the seventh day after six days of marching around the wall was the people
shouted and the wall fell down. “ And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the
camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning
of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed
the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets,
Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed,
even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her
in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the
accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp
of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated
unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. So the people shouted when the priests blew
with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man
straight before him, and they took the city. (Joshua 6:14-20)
Challenge yourself for a deeper level of understanding and growth in the Lord. Do not fear. There is
nothing God cannot do. As this new decade begins, remember to praise God as declared in Psalms 146.
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises
unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is
no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he
that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and
earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth forever:Which executeth judgment for the
oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of
the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: the LORD preserveth
the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign fo ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.”