Weight of Glory
From Bible reading journal, dated Thursday, February 9, 2012
Baomahun, Sierra Leone
The beautiful glory of the sunrise, viewed from the veranda where I used to sit for my morning Bible reading and journal writing.
II Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory
A small diversion from my “regularly scheduled” Old Testament reading has yielded a rich lesson this early morning. We have had some very difficult and trying days piling up, so I really felt the need for a boost of New Testament grace as opposed to another round of Old Testament law. Second Corinthians was an excellent choice.
I found myself pondering II Corinthians 4:17 throughout the morning as the lesson took on more clarity. What a difference a change of perspective can make. Our affliction certainly is light and it is truly only but for a moment. Oh but the beautiful weight of glory! Weight combined with glory? That almost seemed like a contradiction to me, but I think Paul uses the phrase to focus our attentions on the eternal. I allow myself to be weighted down by earthly afflictions, shoulders bent down, gaze cast down to the earth. No! Says the apostle — Look heavenward! I see that my trials do not leave, only the heaviness of them departs. How? By looking past all that is temporal. By looking to the eternal. If I feel weighted down by my troubles, I need to check my perspective!
These recent days, God is allowing us to see the unseen. He’s peeling back just a corner of the mystical curtain which separates the eternal from the temporal. We are watching the eternal seed bearing fruit in the lives of some of our dear friends. Sadly, others are being bound to the temporal and are weighted down by it. I can focus on those who chose to remain earthbound, or I can revel in the few who desire to go higher. The weight of my squeezing still remains; the troubles themselves have not departed. Ah, but the sweetness of the wine pressed out is unmatched. With the change in perspective, the trials become a weight of glory, rather than just a crushing heaviness.
Just yesterday, in my scheduled reading, I read of David in II Samuel 12. King David had been greatly bowed to the dust of the earth, held down by terrible sins and temporal weights. In chapter 12, David was relieved of that weight when he repented and could once again turn his eyes heavenward. By the end of this chapter, King David has won a great victory over the city of Rabbah, royal city of Ammon, enemies of God. The king of Ammon’s crown was then placed on David. It is interesting to me that the weight of this crown is given.
II Samuel12:30 And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head . . .
Fitting so well with today’s New Testament reading, I could see this as the weight of the king’s glory, an earthly, worldly, temporal glory, but still a weight of glory.
When we stand in the presence of the King of kings, our Lord Jesus, we too will be given a crown, an eternal weight of glory. A crown which will not fade or rust. And how glorious to cast our crowns back to the One who fought all our battles for us!
We get the victory, we get the crown, but He gets all the glory.
Romans 8:17b — 18 . . . if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
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The little table next to my recliner gets fairly cluttered when I drag out my old journals to peruse for a writing project such as this post. Of course there’s always a cup of tea!
Post Script: In a future blog post we will explore this same lesson in light of a different, and much more difficult trial of my faith to see how the Lord helped me to gain the victory by changing my perspective. The lesson written about here was foundational to my recent victory, even though it was originally written ten years previous to my current trial. Keeping my Bible reading journal has been very profitable for me in many ways. I benefit so much more from past lessons which then help me gain greater victories in the future. I highly recommend developing the habit of Bible journaling as an aid to your spiritual growth. I have continued with my journal writing since my permanent return to the States in 2017.
I am so grateful that God directed my path to find your website and beautiful blog posts, which are a well of refreshing and hope to my soul. This is the first blog post I received in my email since signing up, and it cheered me instantly. I want you to know that after reading the post about your heirloom glass vase and how God ministered to you concerning the flowers you were to place into it, I was so touched in my heart that I located a similar and lovely vintage glass vase online and now have it on my desk to remind me of the wonderful way God speaks to us. I, too, live with fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain as well, and that particular post has given me a better perspective of my limitations and a deeper appreciation for how God comforts us in our afflictions. Thank you, Laura. Keep your posts coming. I know you pay a price physically at times but know that you are blessing more souls than you will ever know this side of heaven.
Emily, I’m greatly touched by your words and the thought of you locating that glass basket is very humbling. Thank you for your encouragement, it really means a lot to me.
What beautiful thoughts to ponder. Thank you for sharing them!
Mrs. Holt, this is really good and encouraging. Thanks for writing. Writing your thoughts on daily devotions is so important to see how God speaks to you and helps you in the past and can speak again as we ponder them, for sure. The same scripture that spoke to us in a certain day’s adversity cam speak again to a present adversity.
Praying for you and your husband. We are thankful to know you folks.