Glory of the Heavens

Central to the Christian worldview is the idea that the presence of the Spirit of God rests in each believer’s life. And for most of us, that’s kind of intimidating.

The very presence of God residing in us.
In the midst of our weakness.
Throughout the cycles of pain and struggle we can’t get out of.

When Jesus brought his presence to the earth, there were two prophecies that helped people grasp who God was and what he was trying to accomplish.

The first is from the prophet Micah, echoed in Matthew 2:6:
And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

The prophet is directly addressing their view that they are the least of their own people – they didn’t measure up as a tribe when they looked at themselves. God’s word for them was that the Christ would come for all people through their tribe.

And when Christ arrives on the scene, there is greatness moving in and through you.

The second prophecy is from Hosea, summarizing why the events of Matthew 2:14-15 were unfolding:
And Joseph rose and took Jesus and Mary by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’

Egypt was the place of captivity for Israel; they had been slaves there for over four centuries. Unable to free themselves, God moved on their behalf and redeem them. But even after Israel left Egypt, they wandered from the very God who rescued them – they just couldn’t get it together.

So the context God chose for sending his presence to Earth was a tribe of people who perceived as weak, and a land synonymous with slavery.

Could it be that God wants to be known in our weakness, struggles and pain?

Could it be that God wants to show himself to us in areas where it seems least likely for him to show up?

The glory of the heavens has come to us – not in our strength, but in our weakness.
Not in our comfort, but in our pain and struggle.

And that speaks to the kind of God he is. He is great, powerful, mighty and wonderful – and his Spirit is found restoring us when we need it most, not condemning us because we don’t measure up and can’t get it together.