God Our Promise Keeper: A 5-Day Devotional Journey Through AdventSample

To experience the glory of God is a terrifying thing.

Take Isaiah, for example. Here is a man who, when he witnesses God on His throne, is overcome by awareness of his own shortcomings.

Think about it like this. You may not see the cracks in a glass until it is set down next to one that is spotless and perfect. You may not notice your instrument is out of tune until you hear the pure sound of a tuning fork.

The presence of perfection acts like a mirror.

The presence of God’s perfection reveals our own significant shortcomings. But, God promised us He would come near. He promised to be with us as “Immanuel”.

This is the glorious news that God shares through His messengers, the angels, in Luke 2:9-10.

The angel appears and the shepherds are terrified at their presence. They are terrified at the angel’s glory. But the angel tells them to cast off their fear because they have news of utmost joy! Kingdom joy!

And do you see what they do after they tell the shepherds about the Messiah’s arrival?

They invite them to go and see for themselves.

Christ’s birth means that the glory of God can now be enjoyed.

Let that sink in.

That very same glory which used to terrify us will be our very dwelling place for all of eternity. No longer in fear, but in awe and in love!

We can now approach God because He approached us first.

A Question to Ponder: What does it look like to live today in light of this fulfilled promise that God has come near?

A Prayer to Pray: God, thank you that you loved us enough to come near to us. Thank you that you want to be near us, that you desire a relationship with us. Please grow my desire to be near to you. Help me to take a step toward You today. Please show me your glory in some way this Advent season. In Jesus’s name and power, I pray, amen.