Soli Deo Gloria
- Lydia Madison
- May 15, 2018
- 3 min read

I have not blogged in quite a while, and this has to some extent been by happenstance but also partially intentional. I have been determined to keep this practice as one that I do as an overflow of sheer joy from the Holy Spirit and not as a legalistic act to prove some sort of unique spirituality on my part. And to be frank, in recent months things have been sort of dry. My attention span to God has been short, and I have spent a lot more time worrying than praying. But nonetheless, despite my dense head, cold heart, and anxious spirit, here I am on this Tuesday morning of finals week being reminded by the Spirit of the living God that He is on His throne.
The Gospel of John records that during the week of Passover, even before Gethsemane, Jesus’ heart was becoming troubled by His looming death. Christ says, “‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again’” (John 12:27-29). And although many doubted what had just occurred, Christ assures them that it was for their benefit that they had witnessed this (v. 30).
This Thursday was Ascension Day, the day that we remember Jesus being taken up into the clouds before the watchful eyes of His disciples, disappearing from their sight, and being seated at the right hand of the Father. On Sunday this was discussed in the sermon at my church, Christ Community, and there were a couple of things from this message that really resonated with me. One thing is that I had always had the wrong mental image of what it meant to be at the right hand of the Father. I had always pictured a podium, where the Father was raised up in the middle and Jesus was seated next to Him, although slightly lower...similar to the second place platform in an Olympic awards ceremony. But yesterday I realized that that is blatant heresy. Christ is on an equal platform with the Father! The other thing that stood out me from the sermon is that when Christ ascended, this was by no means a promotion for Him. Christ has been reigning with the Father throughout all of eternity. Even in His suffering, He was the King of Kings.
If Jesus, while facing immense trials, was comforted by the God’s glory, I think that would be a good protocol for us as well. And furthermore, we can be comforted by the fact that Christ is glorified just as much as the Father is glorified. That this man, our suffering servant, is in Heaven, higher than the angels (Hebrews 1:4), vouching for us. The events of life are uncertain but this alone is unshakable: to Christ belongs all power, honor, and glory as He never ceases to fulfill His prophetic, priestly, and kingly ministries towards us. His Word spoken to us is truth, His prayers on our behalf are fervent, and of course, His Kingdom into which we have entered is eternal. Glory be to His Name!
Father, we love You,
We worship and adore You.
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
Glorify thy Name, glorify thy Name,
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
Jesus, we love You,
We worship and adore You.
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
Glorify thy Name, glorify thy Name,
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
Spirit, we love You,
We worship and adore You.
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
Glorify thy Name, glorify thy Name,
Glorify thy Name in all the earth.
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