It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
(1 Kings 8:10-11)

Have we stood in awe of the glory of the Lord? Have we ever been so overcome with the glory of the Lord that we fall to our knees because we are so filled with His presence?
When the veil was torn in two from top to bottom and the holy place (the place of God's presence) was made open by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, from that point on the believer's body became the abode of the holy place - the place of God's presence. And we are now the house of the Lord - we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.
The Lord has put this - the presence of His glory - on my mind lately. Over the last several years I have been so caught up with what was going on around me (mind-boggling conditions which created uncontrollable stress at my former job with the bank, economic pressures, political strife and uncertainty, my unexpected struggles with my shoulder surgery) that I have taken what should have been my complete trust in and reverence for the Lord and placed Him in the peripheral of my life instead of at the center - I was not whole heartedly seeking the presence of His glory. Yes, I continued to study His word, continued to be impressed by His Spirit, continued to be lead to write devotionals. Yet, at this point in my life, I feel as if I am being tossed about on a sea of instability. I think to sum it up in a nut shell - I no longer feel that I have control over my life, my plan that was so carefully laid is dissolving before my eyes.
And voila, there it is - my control over my life and my plan. I was measuring my trust level by how the Lord honored my efforts to control and plan my life. When things started to move away from my control and plan I worked even harder in my flesh to try and get it back - not that I didn't trust the Lord but I tried to
balance my own capabilities with my trust in Him and my flesh usually prevailed during this time. Thus the struggle that has ensued and, at times, overwhelmed me.
As I sit here today and reflect upon my life, of His hand upon me, and consider my lot - here is my prayer:
- Lord restore and strengthen my faith so that I might rest in the glory of Your presence.
- Jesus, renew and build in me the complete trust that You alone deserve.
- And may Your glory, the glory of the Lord, completely fill my house.