‘Grace and Glory’

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Psalm 84:11

We have been contemplating the statement, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’  We arrive today at the word, ‘glory.’  In what sense do we speak of ‘glory?’  We use the word in more than one way.  We speak of ‘the glory that was Rome,’ or ‘the glory days.’   We may refer to a person who achieves, ‘fame and glory’ for some accomplishment.  These are all references to human ‘glory,’ which is transitory.  This kind of ‘glory’ always fades.  It is different, in kind and in degree, from the glory described by the statement, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’  It is true that ‘Jehovah will give grace and glory.’  He gives us grace now to endure all the slings and arrows of those who hate Him and who hate all of us who rest by faith in Him.  He will give us glory afterward, because He saves the best for last.  We only have reason to anticipate this glory because of Christ.  It is Christ Who has redeemed us.  It is Christ Who gives us eternal life.  It is Christ Who intercedes for us.  It is Christ Who is preparing a dwelling place for us.  It is Christ Who promises to return for us.  It is Christ Who guarantees the glory which is to follow.  Our hope lies in nothing that we are, have done, are doing, or shall do of ourselves.  We anticipate the glory that Jehovah will give, all because of Christ.

O, God of Grace and Glory,
we rejoice that You give unto us, in Christ, all of which we stand in need.
We praise You that what we have now,
will eventually give way to what we shall have in eternity.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning