And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. -John 1:14

This is an early Christmas greeting. This is the only time I can and will be writing an article during the month of December. A Blessed and merry Christmas to all of you!

Some things are better encountered and explained. So it is with the glory of God. It was simple herdsmen, uneducated, without university credentials, hardworking, ordinary laborers who were privileged to encounter the glory of God when angels announced that a Savior was about to be born in the city of Bethlehem.

In his book, “Transformed by His Glory,” Charles Ryrie says, “The Glory of God means the awesomeness, splendor, and importance of God seen in some way.”

When sinful man has an encounter with the Almighty and His glory, his life will never be the same. The shepherd who experienced the glory of that first Christmas came and worshiped the Child Who had been born in Bethlehem, and then began to spread the word that God had sent a Savior in the person of the Child born that night in the stable outside Bethlehem.

The difference between the glory of God and our human concept of the glory of God is that God’s glory is vitally connected with His character and His person, which includes His holiness and His nature. When Isaiah had a marvelous encounter with God and saw the glory of God, he heard the seraphs cry out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3).

Want to see the glory of God? Then look in the pages of the Bible and ask God to touch your life with His glory. Come with expectancy and faith, and you will find that your life will never be the same.

May God who provides that way for each of us to see and witness His glory be our companion as we journey in the season that preludes the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Pastor Gideon Gallo is the Administrative Pastor at Gladbrook Global United Methodist Church.