Beholding God’s Glory in Everyday Life
By HEATHER COFER
One day late last summer, Judah came home from having coffee with a friend who was getting ready to move out of state. “Babe, he wants us to buy their house.” I literally laughed out loud at the statement. Our friends had a beautiful home … that we most definitely could not afford. On top of that, we had just refinanced our own home and had zero plans to move any time in the foreseeable future. I just couldn’t conceive the idea in any way, shape, or form. Judah concurred, and we moved on with our evening.
About a week later, the couple approached us again asking, “Would you be willing to simply talk with the bank?” We agreed, thinking this would surely be the end of it.
God had given our friends a beautiful vision for hospitality and they had purchased this home to fulfill the ministry God had placed upon their hearts. As God was leading them into a new season, they wanted the keys of their beloved home to be set into hands of new owners that shared a likeminded vision for ministering through hospitality.
Since the start of our marriage, hospitality has been one of mine and Judah’s greatest passions. And it was because of this shared heart that the couple persisted in asking us to consider becoming the new owners of their home. We were truly honored — but the seeming impossibility of the situation kept our dreams from taking flight.
Certainly, it was the kind of home we dreamed of having one day as our family and ministry expanded … but not right now.
But God had other plans. Every single door we thought would be nailed shut, He blew open. And nine short days later we were signing contracts to sell our current house and buy a new one! God had performed what we thought was impossible!
Every single day in this miracle home is a reminder that God is more loving, more powerful, and more faithful than we could ever imagine. It leaves us in awe of His “above and beyond” nature that simply cannot be contained in a neat little box.
God delights to show His people just how good and sovereign He is through every aspect of our lives. Sometimes it’s in big ways like providing a home and other times it’s in smaller ways like the provision of our next meal.
In my own life, I’ve realized that it is all too easy to get caught up in the normality of everyday life, forgetting to watch for the glorious displays of His character that are present in each day. But, I’ve discovered a beautiful reality … if I simply keep my eyes wide open to catch glimpses of His greatness, I begin to see it everywhere.
All of this has led me to ponder how we can sharpen our spiritual eyesight to become increasingly aware of God’s incredible nature. How do we keep from becoming distracted by the cares of this world? Here are some ways the Lord is continually teaching me to do so.
1. look at scripture
When I say look at Scripture, I mean really look at it. Search it. Study it. Ask the Lord to reveal to you those priceless gems about who He is. Seek Him with your whole heart. In Jeremiah 29:13 God said to His people, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (ESV). This truth rings true for us — God promises to draw near to us when we draw near to Him. (See James 4:8.) As we spend time in Scripture, it opens our spiritual eyes to see more of God’s beauty, holiness, power, love, and majesty.
There are times when reading the Bible can feel difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to grasp what we are trying to read or study. But the Word of God is living and active, and is at work in our soul whether we feel it is or not. (See Hebrews 4:12.) Being in the Word helps us understand who God is and what His purposes are in this world. By being diligent to get to know God through His Word, the Holy Spirit will illuminate more and more of this Creator and Savior whom we believe and proclaim. And, as He does, we will see more and more of His glory in our everyday lives.
If you’re unsure of how to go deeper or stay consistent in your Scripture reading and studying, consider going through a Bible reading plan. The YouVersion app has quite a few options. Or, consider doing a Bible study like Leslie’s Set Apart Study.
2. look at the world
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (ESV). All of creation testifies of who God is. All we need to do is pause and intentionally look at the incredible world He has created.
Have you ever marveled at a tiny flower bud — thinking about what is taking place inside before that beautiful bloom comes forth? Have you ever been in awe that we can smell or taste, or thought about the unseen chemistry that makes that happen? Have you ever wondered at the deep emotion that is evoked when we see a radiant sunset or a glorious view? Or even the fact that there isn’t just one kind of bird, but thousands of kinds of birds … just because He could?
When we take the time to consider the countless ways creation displays God’s power and majesty and creativity, we begin to grasp a little bit more of His “above and beyond” nature. And yet, marvel as we may, there will always be more to discover about who He is.
Consider taking some time to ponder one of the many aspects of God’s creation. Whether it’s a blade of grass or a magnificent mountain, ask Him to reveal more about Himself and His goodness through what He created.
3. look at Your Life
If you’re anything like me, it’s so easy for the cares of life to distract me from the incredible ways God has displayed His love and faithfulness to me. I’ve found that I have to be very purposeful about pausing to remember and to thank Him, especially in the hard or stressful seasons of life. The enemy of our soul wants us to be so focused on our difficulties that we lose sight of God’s blessing on our lives. When we’re ungrateful or discontent, that’s when we begin forgetting the many markings of His grace upon our lives. But when we choose to praise God for His past and present evidences of love, it brings His goodness to light before our very eyes.
If you’re not sure where to start, simply praise Him for your salvation and for the living hope you have in Christ. Thank Him for food to eat. Thank Him for a bed to sleep in. Thank Him for friendship. Thank Him for sight. Thank Him for clothing to wear. Thank Him for anything and everything you can think of. And before you know it, there will be more things to thank Him for than you can count.
Thanksgiving will replace grumbling. Gratitude will replace discontentment. Praise is powerful! It illuminates our spiritual eyesight and strengthens our faith in the God we cannot see with our physical eyesight.
When our eyes are looking to Jesus, even the tiniest joys can bring tears to our eyes as we are reminded of His great love and mercy toward us. Every bit of provision can turn our hearts to Him in praise. And our eyes will see the vivid beauty that marks our lives as we behold His goodness and glory day by day.
The words of the Apostle Paul so beautifully express the heart of our good, giving, generous God. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20–21 ESV).