Glory of God

Today I read Lamentations 4:16-Ezekiel 2:6 and Hebrews 11:28-12:8. My favorite verses are:

Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Seeing the glory of God and looking unto Jesus. They are one and the same; Jesus told his disciples that in seeing Him they had seen the Father. Bright and beautiful as the rainbow, glorious in appearance, causing the prophet to fall upon his face and worship—this is our Lord. He spoke to the prophet of old, and He speaks to us through His Son Jesus—the One who endured suffering and death so that we, through the faith He gave us, might be saved from our sin and live forever with Him. He knew there was joy to come—the joy of rejoining His Father in heaven and reigning with Him forever. We can look forward to that same joy if we have accepted the gift of salvation for which He died. The incomparable beauty and glory and joy found in the presence of the Lord can be ours to share for eternity if we exercise the faith given to us and believe that indeed Christ died for our sins and desires to be our Savior.