The Glory of God!

Devotional

Day 1: Moses’ Request and the Weight of Goodness

When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God revealed His goodness instead—a mercy that defines His character. Glory isn’t gold flakes or smoke but the heavy, tangible reality of God’s nature: patient, loyal, and forgiving. This weight reshapes priorities, making His presence the only necessity. Like Moses, we crave encounters where God’s essence overshadows every distraction. His goodness isn’t a spectacle but a steady force that anchors souls in chaos. [45:01]

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin.”
(Exodus 34:6-7, NASB)

Reflection: When has God’s goodness felt heavier than your circumstances? How might prioritizing His character over visible miracles deepen your trust today?

Day 2: Elijah’s Whisper in the Storm’s Aftermath

Elijah expected God in wind or fire but found Him in a whisper. Glory isn’t noise but a quiet weight that stills desperation. God’s presence often bypasses drama to meet us in vulnerability, where pride falls away and hearts listen. This gentle heaviness repairs fractures the world’s chaos cannot touch. It’s in stillness, not spectacle, that God reshapes brokenness into hope. [56:14]

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
(1 Kings 19:12-13, NIV)

Reflection: Where do you need to silence external noise to hear God’s whisper? What pride or distraction might He be asking you to lay down to feel His weight?

Day 3: Jesus—Kabod Wrapped in Skin

God’s glory took flesh in Jesus, who washed feet and forgave enemies. Kabod isn’t ethereal but practical: healing, feeding, serving. To see Christ is to see the Father’s heart—weighty with grace, not religious pomp. His glory dwells in ordinary acts of love that defy human logic, proving God’s essence is self-giving, not self-exalting. [01:05:30]

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
(John 1:14, The Message)

Reflection: How does Jesus’ ordinary compassion challenge your view of “holiness”? Where can you reflect His gritty, grace-filled glory today?

Day 4: Carrying Kabod in Grocery Stores and Traffic

Believers house God’s weighty presence, making even mundane moments eternally significant. Like the pastor sensed glory while speeding toward despair, our ordinary spaces become holy when Christ’s kabod fills us. This invisible heaviness attracts others—not through sermons but through peace that defies circumstance. [01:01:30]

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
(2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Reflection: Who unknowingly “watches” your daily life? How might your quiet faithfulness right now be someone else’s glimpse of God’s glory?

Day 5: Hunger as the Gateway to Glory

God’s presence isn’t earned but claimed by raw hunger. Like the pastor’s desperate prayer in a speeding car, kabod meets those who ache for it more than solutions. Glory fills empty spaces when we stop performing and start pleading. It’s not about church attendance but craving the only weight that satisfies. [01:16:31]

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. […] Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!”
(Matthew 5:14-15, The Message)

Reflection: What emptiness are you trying to fill without God’s weight? How would pursuing His presence first change your approach to that hunger?

Sermon Summary

Kabod, the Old Testament word for glory, names weight, heaviness. The text will not let glory be reduced to Shekinah tales or gold flakes. Shekinah is not in Scripture, and spectacle is not the norm. Value is set by weight, and God’s presence becomes the heaviest thing in the room, more substantial than what eyes can see. Where that presence is, bodies heal, anxious hearts quiet, relationships mend. Worship and Word exist so God can anoint what humans cannot. Church must step out of the way so God is honored, not celebrities.

Moses shows what glory really is. He pleads, “Please let me see your glory,” and God answers, “My goodness will pass in front of you.” When God passes by, God names God: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, loyal love, forgiving iniquity. Glory is not the mist or the mountain; glory is God defining God. “I am that I am.” God’s essence, not the props, is the glory.

Elijah learns the same on the mountain. God is not in the rock-shattering wind, not in the quake, not in the fire, but in a quiet, small voice. When the real presence rests on a people, praise may be loud, but presence draws a holy hush where no one wants to move. In that hush, God speaks, and despair breaks. Even on a winding road with suicidal thoughts, kabod can fill a car like a warm blanket, arrest a soul, and steady hands on the wheel. Circumstances may remain, but everything is met in a different spirit.

In the New Testament, the glory moves into the neighborhood in Jesus. “We saw the glory with our own eyes,” glory as the Father’s own character. Philip asks, “Show us the Father,” and Jesus replies, “To see me is to see the Father.” The kabod looks like healing the sick, feeding the hungry, teaching truth, washing feet, forgiving enemies, welcoming a dying thief. That is what God’s weight looks like in flesh and blood.

Then God places that kabod in believers. With unveiled faces, they reflect his brightness, growing more like the Messiah as God works within. The world is hungry for the realness of God, not another taste of hell. Jesus calls his people light, bringing God-colors into gray places. Glory is a free gift for the hungry. It is not limited to a sanctuary. Hunger draws presence anywhere. And once presence marks a life, it cannot be hidden. Neighbors, co-workers, strangers in the grocery aisle are already watching. Let them meet the Father in a people who carry his weight.

Key Takeaways

1. Glory means God’s weighty presence. Glory is kabod, the heaviness that sets value and steadies a room. Spectacle may grab eyes, but presence lays holy weight on hearts. Seek the substance, not the smoke. Where God is truly present, life bends toward healing. [36:42]
2. God’s glory shows God’s goodness. When Moses asks to see glory, God passes by as goodness and names himself merciful and forgiving. Glory is God defining God, not props defining God. The heaviest thing about God is his character. [45:31]
3. The whisper outruns the spectacle. Elijah finds God not in wind, quake, or fire, but in a gentle voice that births reverence. Spectacle can shake rocks; presence remakes souls. Learning to be still may be the boldest act of faith. [56:14]
4. Jesus puts kabod in flesh. The Word becomes flesh so eyes can see what the Father’s glory looks like. Healing, feeding, foot-washing, and forgiving enemies are not side notes; they are the radiance of who God is. [62:54]
5. Believers reflect and carry kabod. With unveiled faces, God’s people are being transfigured to mirror his brightness. The world is starving for God-colors, not more darkness. Hunger draws presence, and presence draws people to the Father. [67:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:59] - What is the glory of God
[33:15] - Shekinah and skepticism about signs
[36:42] - Kabod defined as weight
[38:48] - Why presence matters in worship
[42:39] - Moses pleads for God to go with Israel
[45:01] - Show me your glory
[45:31] - My goodness will pass by
[46:31] - God names himself to Moses
[48:58] - Elijah at the end of himself
[54:59] - Stand on the mountain as God passes by
[55:31] - Wind, quake, fire, then a whisper
[57:27] - Holy hush versus hype
[58:30] - A car, a cliff, and kabod
[62:07] - From cloud to Christ
[62:54] - The Word moved into the neighborhood
[63:43] - Show us the Father
[65:21] - Glory in mercy and foot-washing
[66:38] - You become the kabod
[67:06] - Transfigured with unveiled faces
[69:44] - The world wants the real God
[70:53] - Not hell, but God’s goodness
[73:21] - Glory is a free gift
[73:44] - Be light and bring God-colors
[76:31] - Hunger draws the presence
[77:52] - People are watching you
[80:07] - Do you have kabod

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 33:18-19 (ESV):

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And [God] said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’”

1 Kings 19:11-13 (ESV):

“And [God] said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains… but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”

John 1:14 (ESV):

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Observation Questions

In Exodus 33:18-19, Moses asks to see God’s glory. How does God define His glory in response? What specific qualities does He associate with His presence?
When Elijah encounters God on the mountain (1 Kings 19:11-13), what contrasts does the passage highlight between spectacle and true divine presence?
According to John 1:14, how does Jesus embody God’s glory? What actions or attributes in His life demonstrate this?
The sermon describes a moment where God’s presence felt like a “warm blanket” in a car during a crisis. What physical or emotional effects did this presence bring? [01:00:20]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God chose to reveal His glory to Moses through His goodness and character (Exodus 34:6-7) rather than a visible spectacle?
In 1 Kings 19, God speaks to Elijah in a whisper after dramatic natural events. What might this teach about how God often interacts with people in moments of despair or exhaustion?
The sermon states, “Glory is not the mist or the mountain; glory is God defining God.” How does Jesus’ life (John 1:14) redefine what “weighty” divine presence looks like in practical terms?
Why might describing God’s presence as “heavy” or “weighty” (kabod) challenge common assumptions about how spiritual experiences should feel?

Application Questions

Where in your daily life (work, relationships, struggles) do you most need to recognize God’s “weighty” presence? What practical step could help you tune into His nearness this week?
The sermon emphasizes that God’s glory is seen in acts like “washing feet” and “forgiving enemies.” What small, ordinary action could you take today to reflect this kind of “God-colors” to someone around you?
When facing anxiety or despair, how might intentionally seeking God’s “quiet voice” (like Elijah) look different from chasing dramatic solutions or distractions?
The car story illustrates God’s presence interrupting a crisis. Have you ever experienced a moment where God’s peace “arrested” you unexpectedly? How did it change your perspective? [01:00:20]
The sermon says, “People are watching you” for glimpses of God’s presence. Who in your life might be observing your actions or attitudes right now? How could your kindness or patience point them to God’s character?
What habits or environments help you cultivate a “hungry heart” for God’s presence? Are there distractions you need to set aside to prioritize this hunger?

Sermon Clips

52s

#PresenceGetsMeThrough

“``It doesn't mean that everything is gonna go right for you all the time. It doesn't mean that everything will go your way. It doesn't mean that you'll never have a problem. I'll tell you what, I'd rather embrace and deal with the problems of life with Kavad than without it. Because when all is said and done, kavad gets me through. Presence of God gets me through. The realness of God gets me through. The love of God gets me through. The peace of God gets me through. That's what gets me through. And this world can't offer any of that to me. Try as it may, it can't offer any of that to me.”

43s

#GodIsMercy

“``How did God define himself in the Old Testament? I am God. I am merciful. I am I'm loving. I'm forgiving from generation to generation. That was the kabad. That's how he defined himself. It is the character of God. It's the essence of flashing and lightning and all of that. His his his very essence is that of love, is that of forgiveness, is that of acceptance. That is the essence of God. That's God. And he shows us that in Jesus.”

74s

#SeeJesusSeeGod

“``If you want a visual of the glory of god, read the gospels and see who Jesus was. And you will see the kabad in flesh showing himself to mankind. The kabad showed himself to mankind in in the form of Jesus. In John chapter 14, Philip says to Jesus, master, show us the father. Show us who the father is. Then we will be content. And Jesus said back to him, you've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand. To see me is to see the father. you're looking at me, you're looking at God almighty. You're looking at the kabbat, the presence of God. To see me is to visually see the presence of God.”

84s

#StillnessInHisPresence

“``God wasn't in the extremes. God wasn't in the earthquake and the wind and the fire. God God wasn't in that. That those are all great things, but it wasn't the presence of God. God was moving in a quiet, small voice that only Elijah could hear. have found over the years that when the presence of the Lord is truly present, praise generates excitement, And praise generates a level of the presence of the Lord because you're excited about God. So I'll I'll we have expressions of excitement. But when there is a divine presence of the Lord, there is a holy atmosphere that settles in to the extent that you don't wanna talk and you don't wanna move. That you think I'm just gonna sit as still as I can because there is a quiet reverence in God's presence when God is speaking.”

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The Glory of God!

Devotional

Day 1: Moses’ Request and the Weight of Goodness

Day 2: Elijah’s Whisper in the Storm’s Aftermath

Day 3: Jesus—Kabod Wrapped in Skin

Day 4: Carrying Kabod in Grocery Stores and Traffic

Day 5: Hunger as the Gateway to Glory

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Glory of God!

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