May We Touch This Hem of Glory

“The LORD replied......as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth...” (Numbers 14: 20...21)

“It is not just that God spoke; but God is speaking! He is continuously articulate. He fills the world with his speaking voice.” --A. W. Tozer

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“Nature is a first volume, in itself incomplete, and demanding a second volume, which is Christ.” --Charles Gore

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I am convinced that nature,... all that we see around us, all living things, the waters, the earth and the heavens above.... is a God-conceived multidimensional creation marvelously woven together for His glory and for our consideration. Nature is an embroidered tapestry-like garment designed and executed by the hand and mind of God. The Divine Artist created this richly embroidered garment and then wrapped Himself in it to speak to the heart of man and thus bring more glory to Himself.

The threads of Matter, Time and Space, animated by his Presence, his Wisdom and his Light have been stitched together with such precision and creativity that humankind can scarcely begin to fathom and appreciate what has been done.

But because we are made in God's image, mankind can begin to fathom exactly that.......

We understand intuitively that the creation we see and encounter around us is not a mindless and meaningless and purposeless accident as some today would have us believe. Nature, in all of its manifested glory, is God's communicated prologue of Self-disclosure....a “gospel primer” as someone once put it. (Theologians have called this prologue of Divine Self-disclosure “general revelation”.)

And all of mankind has known and understands the bottom line.

Our Creator God invites us to closely examine the elegant interwoven beauty and majesty of his cloak, the embroidered tapestry of nature. And by doing so, we are made aware of The Designer's existence, his attributes, his power and his care. We can only stand in reverent awe as we touch, handle, explore and document this marvelous robe of God's creation...a garment that we must admit is fearfully and wonderfully made.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the fledgling church in Rome put it this way:

“.....since what may be known about God is plain to them [mankind]. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1: 19,20)

Everyone knows that GOD IS, and we know this simply by walking outside and looking around. Some may... (and many do)... attempt to deny this knowledge of God, but by doing so they are only suppressing the truth that they intuitively know. They may deny the truth of what they know, but they are...in reality...truly “without excuse”.

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I am reminded of another reference in scripture regarding the garment (cloak) of God. It is found in the Gospel of Mark:

“When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, 'If I touch his clothes, I will be healed.' Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5: 27-29)

The suffering and bleeding heart and soul of mankind longs desperately to be healed and to be free from worry and from fear. The cloak and tapestry of nature passes by us every day, but too often our busy and distracted lives crowd out any opportunity to reach out and touch (or be touched) by the Beauty that surrounds us on every side....above us and below.

“May We Touch This Hem of Glory”

May we reach, Lord, for Your garment..
Help us find You in this crowd.
Help us seek the touch of Jesus...
And before Him may we bow.

May Your garment beckon to us,
May we touch the cloak You wear;
Draw us by Your threads of Grace, Lord...
Help us see how much You care.

Help us sense these hints of Heaven,
We encounter in this place;
May we touch this hem of glory....
May we know Amazing Grace.

May the Son, Lord, light the darkness;
May He chase away the night.
Lord, please give us Living Water...
Holy Spirit, give us sight.

Give us hearts that yearn to know You...
Teach us, Father, how to pray.
Teach us, Lord, about surrender;
Sweet Lord Jesus, have Your Way.

Teach us, Lord, about this treasure
That You poured into Your Bride...
Oil of Gladness come and fill us,
So in You may we abide.

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“He will be the sure foundation for
your times,
A rich store of salvation and
wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to
this treasure. (Isaiah 33:6)

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As marvelous as the teeming beauty of nature may be here and now, and no matter how often we may glimpse and briefly experience God's astounding beauty and glory here on earth, I am convinced that these earthly gems and sensual treasures will pale to insignificance when compared to the joys and pleasures and wonders that are reserved for us in Heaven.

I am certain that our glorified bodies and senses will be overwhelmed and transported by the unsurpassed Beauty that we will see, hear and feel in the eternal Presence of God.

“You have made known to me the
path of life;
You will fill me with joy in your
presence,
with eternal pleasures at your
right hand.” (Psalm 16: 11)