Living in Glory: Experiencing the Shekinah Glory of God
Have you ever just marveled at the beauty and power of nature? It always leads me to smile at God’s glory. Do you want to know more about God’s glory and how can we experience God’s Shekinah glory today?
God’s Shekinnah glory is His vital and active dwelling presence in the world. God’s glory has been displayed through fire, light, and smoke, but is most clearly displayed through Jesus. We can experience God’s glory today through confession, prayer, worship, and obedience in connection with our relationship with the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Bible Stories About God’s Shekinah Glory
God’s Shekinah glory, His vital and active dwelling presence, is prominent in key moments in the Bible. Let’s take a look at a few now:
Pillar of Cloud and Fire
We see God’s Shekinah glory in the key story of the Exodus. God guides His people out of Egypt, and through the wilderness, as a Pillar of Cloud and Fire (Exodus 13:21).
This awe-inspiring miracle served as a visible sign of God’s guidance, protection, and presence with the Israelites throughout their journey.
The pillar of cloud and fire was a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness and power, guiding the Israelites through the wilderness and providing them with a sense of direction and assurance.
Moses
We also see God’s Shekinah glory revealed to the prominent figure of the Exodus, Moses.
Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, when he asked to see God’s glory. God granted his request and revealed His glory to Moses in a remarkable encounter.
As the Lord passed by, Moses was sheltered in the cleft of a rock, and he was able to see the back of God’s glory as it passed by (Exodus 33:12-23).
The experience was so powerful that when Moses left his face shone with a radiant glow so much so that he had to veil his face.
God’s Presence in the Temple
King Soloman, David’s son, built a Temple, a house, for God to dwell in. Soloman prayed and offered sacrifices to dedicate the temple. Then we read,
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
2 Chronicles 7:1
God’s glory was so pervasive the priests could not enter the temple. People began to fall down and worship God in praise and awe.
Jesus
In the Old Testament prophets, God’s glory begins to be connected to the promise of the Savior. That brings us to Jesus.
Jesus is God’s Shekinah glory, incarnate. The story of Jesus’s birth in Luke 2 makes this clear. It is filled with the word “glory.” When the angels appeared to the shepherds the glory of the Lord shone around them. The angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest.”
We see the idea that Jesus is God’s glory incarnate most clearly at the transfiguration. There Jesus takes his closest disciples up to the top of a mountain. Where He is transfigured. His face shown like the sun, His clothes became a dazzling white (Matthew 17).
Stephen
Stephen is the first Christian martyr. As he was being stoned to death for preaching the gospel he saw a vision of God’s glory. Luke records,
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 7:55-56
Notice, now, how the vision of God’s glory is Jesus and not a pillar of cloud and fire. Let’s look at one more in the New Testament, Paul.
Paul
Paul was there when Stephen was martyred. In fact, he held the people’s cloaks as they threw stones at him. Why? Because Paul hated Christians. But he heard Stephen’s experience of God’s glory and eventually had one of his own.
On his way to persecute more Christians, Paul was blinded by a bright light. He fell down and heard a voice say, “Why are you persecuting me?” That voice was Jesus (Acts 9:3-5).
This experience of God’s glory, transformed Paul’s life and he became obedient to God’s call on his life to be a missionary to the gentiles.
So, we’ve seen how God’s Shekinah glory is displayed as fire, light, cloud, and ultimately Jesus. But what does Shekinah glory even mean? Let’s find out.
What is the Shekinah Glory?
There are two words we need to look at in understanding what God’s Shekinah glory is: Shekinah and glory.
Let’s look at the word Shekinah first. Shekinah is a Hebrew word that means “that which dwells.”
The word Shekinah is not found in the Bible, though it is implied throughout the Bible when referring to God’s nearness. So, God’s Shekinah glory is His glory that dwells near us. His Immanence and Presence settling with you.
Glory is a word that carries with it the idea of being heavy or weighty. So, God’s glory is His weighty importance that accompanies His presence. Thus, God’s glory is His visible and active presence in the world. His glory fills the whole earth (Isaiah 6:3).
When the Bible talks about giving glory to God, it is telling us to give weight to, or honor to, God and His goodness in our lives.
So, we can define God’s Shekinah Glory as: God’s vital dwelling and active presence in the world.
How God Reveals His Shekinah Glory Today
Jesus is the permanent and clearest way in which God reveals His glory today. The author of Hebrews writes,
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1;3
Because of this the Holy Spirit works to make us more Christlike. This brings glory to Jesus. The Holy Spirit reminds us of Jesus teachings, convicts us when we don’t follow them, and makes known to us truths (John 16:14).
Jesus’s glory is not only for Himself. He invites us to share in His glory. That is what being a Christian is all about. When we share in Christ’s glory it brings more glory to God.
Paul writes to the church in Corinth,
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.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Sharing in Christ’s glory is not always easy. Because we choose to be a Christian we may be bullied, mocked, or persecuted. This is to be expected. Paul writes, this time to the Romans,
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:17
So, God’s glory is revealed today through Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s role is to make us more like Jesus so that we can reflect Jesus’ glory to those around us. What are some ways we can do that?
4 Ways To Live in the Light of God’s Glory Every Day
So, how can we live in the light of God’s glory every day? Well, by giving Him glory. Here are four ways that we can give glory to God today. When we give God glory we experience His glory.
Confess
One way to experience God’s glory today is through confession. When we confess our sins, it honors God as just and Judge.
When we confess our shortcomings and accept the appropriate consequences for our actions, we recognize God’s righteousness and justice at work in our lives. So, God reveals His glory in His dealings with us.
Worship
Another way that we can experience God’s glory today is by worshipping Him. When we worship God, we are praising Him and giving Him glory. In other words, we recognize God’s importance (weight) and goodness in our lives.
It’s possible to praise God without giving Him glory (Isaiah 29:13). So, we need to make sure that our heart is in the right place to worship God, that our praise is genuine.
Experiencing God’s glory through worship is a deeply personal and spiritual encounter.
Worship is a way to tell God how great He is, and to show gratitude and adoration for that. Through worship, we open our hearts and minds to God’s presence, allowing ourselves to connect with Him and experience a sense of awe, wonder, and reverence.
For example, the other Sunday at church I was worshipping God. I wasn’t just singing songs. I felt like every song lead me deeper into God’s presence and I constantly grew more grateful for God and what He’s done for me throughout our worship time. That is worship that gives glory to God.
It is in these moments of worship that we experience glimpses of God’s glory, through peace, joy, awe, or a deeper understanding of God’s Nature.
Pray
A third way that we can experience God’s glory is through prayer. Prayer is talking with God and inviting Him into your life, circumstances, etc.
We can thank God with prayers of thanksgiving. We can tell God we are sorry with prayers of confession. We can praise God with prayers of adoration, and ask for His help with prayers of supplication.
Praying the Lord’s prayer, both word for word and personalizing it for your situation, is a great way to experience God’s glory in prayer. Through prayer, we invite God to reveal His glory through our circumstances.
Obey
Lastly, we can live in the light of God’s glory when we choose to obey Him. When we choose to walk by the Spirit, we will walk into places where we will see and experience God’s glory on a daily basis.
Experiencing God’s glory through obedience is a journey of faith and surrender, where we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and find fulfillment in living in accordance with His divine will.
To take a step of faith in obedience is putting our trust in God’s provision and protection. It says that we believe that God’s plan is good for us, the best for us. So, when we walk by the spirit, we experience God’s glory.
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Building a Bible Study Routine Guide
Want to build a Bible study habit? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and we will send you our free Building a Bible Study Routine Guide. You’ll discover your ideal Bible study method and create a customized schedule. Plus, much more.
Here is what you can expect as a Bible Wonderlife subscriber:
-Welcome email with your Free Guide right now!
-Monthly emails with a brief devotional.
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