Tag: kauai

Beholding God's Glory
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Beholding His Glory

krisshetter

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalm 19:1

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” – Revelation 4:11

On our first trip to the island of Kauai my husband surprised me with a helicopter tour.  If you’ve ever visited Kauai, you’ll see a continuous stream of these whirlybirds as they circumvent the edge of the island.  Besides the “average” beauty of this lusciously green island you’re flown over the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”  After cresting the top of the mountain, you find yourself perched for just a moment as the helicopter begins its descent into an impossibly breathtaking amphitheater-shaped valley which falls into the azure, blue seas.

We were fortunate that upon reaching that crest, the skies cleared.  The view laid out before me literally took my breath away.  I could barely speak as the glory of God’s creation burst out in front of me in full technicolor.

God Revealed In Glory

In Romans 1 Paul exhorts Christians to not be ashamed of God and His glory.  In fact, he says no one, not one person, has an excuse to not believe in God.  Why?  Because He has been revealed throughout all time in His creation.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

This revelation of God’s glory became a regular topic between my father and I while we sat waiting for medical appointments.  He wanted proof of God’s existence.  I would point outside any window and remark, “There’s your proof.”  And he would scoff.  I would point out the beauty of the human eye, the statistical probability of a baby coming out just about perfect millions upon millions of times, the fact we have all we need to survive and then some.  And he would still scoff.

Even knowing all this, and walking in a relationship with Jesus, I still forget at times how glorious God truly is.  I question His decisions.  I give Him advice on how to solve problems.  I idolize things other than Him.  Then the Holy Spirit taps my shoulder to remind me that I’m speaking to the great I AM, not just any Joe Blow.

“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” Isaiah 42:8

Our Big God

When my last church went astray with unbiblical teaching, I approached one of the pastors to gain understanding about their thinking.  We had a lengthy conversation about a particular topic and then he asked me a curious question.  “If I asked you why you believe what you believe are you going to just say, ‘because God said so?’” he inquired.  I stood there stunned for a second and then firmly responded, “Yes.”  In that moment, I realized how easily even spiritual leaders can shrink God to something manageable.

Last year I read a great little book called, “Your God Is Too Small, A guide for believers and skeptics alike” by J.B. Phillips.  He addresses how believers fall into traps of defining God absent the truth of His glory.  We make Him into a god of the familiar and every day. For example, we’ve probably heard people (like my father) smirk at the idea of Jesus being resurrected.  “There’s no such thing as bringing someone back from the dead!  That’s impossible!”  Yet, that is exactly what God did.  

Phillips discusses 11 types of “God” we create in our minds and in our prayer life.  One might think of God as a policeman, always watching and searching for the evil we do.  Or as a meek and mild Jesus who, according to some Super Bowl commercials, just wants to be loved and love in return.  Others pray as though God never sees what we need – a hands-off god.  While others worry He is a micromanager.  

But all those are not the real God.  The God of majesty and glory.  Of power and might.  The God of Revelation who commands the winds and seas.  Who sends His angels to fight heavenly battles.  The God of Daniel 7 whose throne is ablaze with flames with a river of fire come out before Him.  The God who has 1,000s upon 1,000s attending Him in the heavens.  That God can do the impossible.

Friend, is your god too small?  Have you forgotten He is the God of sunrises and sunsets?  He has intricately woven every animal, human and plant for His purposes.  He is beyond time and our full understanding.  And yet, He has invited us to be heirs to this glory through His Son, Jesus.  What a glorious gift!

“We have seen that the Son of God created the world for this very end, to communicate Himself in an image of His own excellency. … When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the beauteous (rain)bow, we behold the adumbrations of His glory and goodness; and in the blue sky, of his mildness and gentleness.” Jonathan Edwards

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bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, Faith, Jesus Follower, Uncategorized

Justice Will Be Done

krisshetter 
Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
    and those in her who repent, by 
righteousness.
But rebels and sinners shall be broken 
together,
    and those who forsake the Lord shall 
be consumed.
Isaiah 1:27-28

My husband and I love vacationing in Kauai.  Our favorite activity is exploring hidden beaches.  When people think of Hawaii, they might picture long sandy beaches lined with palm trees that butt up against beautiful resorts.  But in Kauai there’s very few beaches like that.  In fact, part of the adventure is just finding the hidden turnoff from the highway that will take you to the trailhead down to the beach.  Many of the beaches sit far below the volcanic cliffs of Kauai.  Once you park you then need to search for a tiny indication you have found the trailhead.  And then the adventure really starts.

On one such adventure I was laden down with my beach chair on my back and our small cooler.  The narrow, dirt trail hugged the cliff.  And someone had secured a weathered rope in the most precarious places.  I kept my eyes down, for the most part, keeping watch for pesky roots and vines that would trip me up.  I kept hold of the safety rope, until I didn’t.  In a flash I found myself hanging off the side of the cliff – held up from sure death by my beach chair which had snagged on a few branches.  I had taken my eyes of the sure path laid out in front of me – distracted by the spectacular scenery.

The view from atop the cliff

I was like a helpless turtle on my back with waves crashing on the deadly rocks below.  I yelled to my husband, who was a few feet ahead of me.  He scrambled to me and with a lot of pulling, untangling and the blessing of God I was rescued.

God’s promised justice, mentioned more than 40 times in the book of Isaiah, requires us to do what I had failed to do on that hike – to keep my eyes fixed on the savior with a firm grip on Him.  But thank God He also gives us mercy when we fail. 

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show 
you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!
Isaiah 30:18

You notice that both these verses require that agreement, the covenant?  Those who repent will receive a positive justice outcome.  Those who wait for Him will be blessed with compassion.  When I finally made my way safely back onto the path that day, I thanked God for saving me.  And I promised God that I would be more careful.  I would hold on tightly to the safety rope as the path narrowed and I’d be watchful of tripping hazards.

The book of Isaiah starts almost like a trial.  It describes in detail the failings of the Israelites.  The supposed believers had taken their eyes off God and were living outside His covenant.  They sat accused of murder, robbery, idolatry, and corruption.  They attended temple and brought their sacrifices, all the while leading hypocritical lives.  And so, they were warned of punishment, of judgement. 

One only needs to turn on the news for a few minutes to see the moral corruption throughout the current world.  Thankfully, God has built a safety rope for us.  Not with which to hang ourselves, but rather to grasp hold of and pull us back onto the path.

I was certainly humbled on that cliff in Kauai.  I got a bit cocky with thinking I knew the path well enough to not pay full attention.  God decided He still had some work for me to do. 

But what about those “evil doers?”  When is God’s justice raining down on them?  He promises they will be consumed by His justice.  When we keep our focus squarely and firmly on God, we can have faith that on God’s time, justice will be done.  And, we can thank Him each and every time we fail Him yet are not judged.

I saw heaven standing open and 
there before me was a white horse, 
whose rider is called Faithful 
and True. With justice he 
judges and wages war.
Revelation 19:1

God is waging a war against evil we cannot see.  His justice is at work right now.  And the final judgement is coming.  I heard a well-known evangelist once make the statement: “Imagine the looks on the people’s faces when Jesus comes back – and He is coming back.  All the people that tried to eliminate Jesus from the world about to face justice.”

None of us deserve to be free from God’s promised justice and judgement.  His mercy and love provide that rope for us to grasp when we pray for forgiveness — when we fall down on our knees and say to Him, “Have mercy on me, exalted One!”