There is nothing that compares to experiencing the glory of God in a real way.
God wants to have a relationship with us much like that of Moses. Even in the midst of conflict we can experience God. Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God during conflict. Have you ever experienced heartbreak? I’m guessing that’s a yes. In reality, everyone experiences heartbreak, conflict, and pain in life. So, it is so worth exploring how to handle heartbreak. There are many things that can break our hearts. Our first reaction to pain is to seek sympathy from others. I think that’s a normal reaction. However, when you yield to that temptation of the flesh, you lose the glory.
Heartbreak, hurt, and pain is meant to produce a greater glory of God’s presence in your life.
If you play the victim, you flunk the test. If you’re getting the sympathy of man than you lose the glory that you can experience through God in that moment. I’m not saying God punishes you if you seek out sympathy. God never separates his love from us regardless of how we misbehave, blow it, or handle conflict. I’ve blown it a million times in this area. However, the older I get the more I realize I’m meant to persevere in those moments. You must push through, buck up, and go through the pain.
Psalms 23:4, gives us a clear biblical view of conflict, Even thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.
Notice it says I walk through the valley. You must walk through the valley to experience the mountain peak of God’s glory. Most people miss the walk-through part when they read that scripture verse. God is instructing us to walk through our conflict, not get stuck in it.
This is a tough lesson for all of us.
We want sympathy. We want our view-point to be heard louder than the one that hurt us. It’s not easy to go through heartbreak without grumbling or complaining. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years because they grumbled and complained. What was meant to be a short trip took them 40 years because of their attitude.
I was deeply challenged in this area this past year. I experienced something that made me physically feel like my heart had been broken. At one point, I cried out to God asking him to send someone to advise me, encourage me, and help me work through my hurt. Guess what God never sent anyone on earth. Instead, he taught me a powerful lesson. God clearly spoke into my heart by saying “You will go through this with me. I will be the one to encourage you, advise you, and guide you.”
There is nothing in life you and God can’t handle together. Strive for spiritual maturity. I believe it takes a lifetime to get there, because it’s so hard to do. Oh, but my friends the glory that’s just around the corner is unbelievable. When you don’t play the victim, you get to experience a cloud of glory over your life!!
I feel like Moses did in Exodus, I don’t want to go somewhere unless God’s power and presence goes with me. This past year was a year of incredible pain and heartbreak, and at the same time, a year of experiencing God in deeper ways than ever before. I felt the power, the glory, the cloud of God’s presence like an overflowing river in the desert. God literally showed up in ways I couldn’t even imagine. I experienced something better than my viewpoint, or sympathy from man, or even an apology from the ones who hurt me, I was blessed enough to experience God.
When you experience the glory of God you no longer care about getting that apology.
You no longer care about being right or even being heard. Nothing can satisfy your hurt and pain like the glory cloud of God’s presence. God sees your motives, feels your pain, holds each tear in his hand, and knows your heart like no one else. Our pain is temporary in comparison to the glory that is just around the corner. I came out stronger than ever before, and you can too!!! Your pain has a purpose. Keep walking my friends!! Walk through your valley so you can get to the mountain top experience with God. Oh, the glory that is just around the corner if you will walk with spiritual maturity. Don’t let your flesh keep you from experiencing a cloud of glory.
