In Between The Glories

*Inspired by my Pastor's recent series.

I have decisions to make. I need healings in my life. I could use stress released. I have goals unachieved. I am more observant and concerned about world, national, state and local affairs now-a-days. The list continues.

However, in the past I have witnessed and experienced making the right decision, healings come to fruition, stress disappear, goals be met and so forth. So, I know the mountaintops with their Glory are there and I know my God is faithful.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (King James Version)

The New International Version reads,

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

The point to grasp is one mountaintop in life is not enough for full development or satisfaction. Therefore, we must live and look toward the next Glory and expect the Valley or No-Man's Land in between to be our vehicle, not our hindrance, to that next Glory.

From Glory to Glory is boot camp. From Glory to Glory is training and development of things personal and spiritual. From Glory to Glory, He is changing me. The 2 Corinthians 3:18 passage says a transformation occurs between the Glories (being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,). Notice that the Mountaintop and Glory are higher or increased from the previous one - "with ever-increasing glory". Therefore some call the time that justifies that higher mountiantop, that higher glory of life The Valley or The Refiner's Fire. Michael English sang it well - "There's not a crown without a cross." If you allow the change to take place and reach that Glorious mountaintop then there is a successful transformation; a glorious change.

Many times our challenges are not only forming us, they are setting us up for a Glorious opportunity – some refer to it as a Divine Appointment. One of Paul’s shipwrecks landed him on an island where he barely had time to have a pity party for himself before he was summoned to pray for and administer the healing power of God to those on the island.

This mindset of training, development and divine opportunity comes with experience and maturity. I for one need to pause the next time adversity comes my way and refrain from saying, "Woe is me." but with the focus of learning what God is trying to teach, develop or lead me to - ask, why this challenge? Why has God allowed this in my life? James instructs us like this - “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

The more Christians exercise this mindset and attitude the more we can be successful in navigating In Between The Glories.