Dave's Diary

Today’s reading highlights the hope we have of beholding the glory of God, in this life and in eternity.

Daily Reading: Romans 5:1-5

As Christian believers, we are at peace with God. Our relationship with God has been completely restored and made right. And all of this has happened because of God’s own unfathomable mercy and grace, completely irrespective of any worthiness of our own. It is purely on the merits of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The moment we trusted Jesus, God made peace with us and brought us home to Himself as a matter of pure, abundant grace. This is the “grace in which we now stand.”

From this safe place in God’s family, the Word says that we can “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God“. On the one hand, this means we can rejoice in the sure and certain expectation that one day we will see God’s glory in all its fullness – when we pass through death into His perfect presence. It could be no other way for God’s beloved children.

On the other hand, even today we can joyfully expect to behold God’s glory. We will see the glorious manifestation of God’s beauty and goodness in this world as we live out our relationship with Him. When we cling to God in tough times and endure great difficulties with perseverance – fuelled not by our own willpower but by God’s love and by the Holy Spirit who has been poured into our hearts (v.5) – the very character of the Crucified Lord Jesus is formed in us. In this life, we see God’s glory revealed in others who are being made more Christlike, and even in ourselves as God fashions and forms us into the image of Jesus!

Loving LORD, please fill me afresh with the Spirit and with Your love today. No matter what I have to endure today, please help me to persevere in Your strength, so that I may become that little bit more like Jesus and may display Your glory in my world. Stir in me a joyful expectation that it will be so, and that one day I will behold the fulness of Your glory, face to face in heaven’s throne room. Amen.