Glory in Practice and Pursuit
Be still for a moment. See that? Hear it? Listen: it’s a moment of tranquil glory between you and a car, and it’s as sweet as it is fleeting. Most of the time, this hobby feels front-loaded; you wrench on a car for months before a quarter-mile run that might last 13 (or 12 or 9) seconds or you wash and wax a car for hours but the clouds open up a few minutes later. Time to get to work again.
If you’ve ever felt this way, focus again on the tranquil glory. Then invoke that glory in each moment you spend with your car, whether it’s wrenching or racing, repairing or driving, or washing or admiring. An attitude of reflection and contentment can motivate you at any time.
Throughout the Psalms, David lets these glory moments motivate him. In Psalm 148, which seems to be written for a liturgical (church service) setting, he lists just about everything he can think of and calls on them to praise God. Angels are not spared, nor are fruit trees, hail, or cattle. Clearly, David wants everyone and everything to give glory and praise to God:
“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 148:13-14)
David’s earnest disposition toward praise is inspiring. Yet the act of him writing this down could have felt like work to him (ask anyone involved in church work if it’s laborious at times). It was probably more like yanking out an old rusty exhaust system than blipping the throttle on a new stainless steel one. But God was with him and blessed his work – which, as part of a beautiful conclusion to the Psalms, has blessed countless believers. Perhaps David knew this. Perhaps God’s ability to make the effort feel as sweet as the reward is yet one more reason why David praised God.
If the glory in those big, grand, obvious moments gives you the occasion to reflect, see where the glory has been along the way. Then see how you can glorify God with those moments you spend pursuing him.
When the Bible is bookmarked and set on your night stand, that feeling of new familiarity with your creator can inspire you to crack open your Bible the next day. If you’ve seen God’s power take you through something awful, that confident joy can kindle your faith when the next challenge comes. The presence of the glory of God can simply fill a person, and all the time spent in the pursuit of God up until that moment seems sweeter, fuller, and more purposeful.
God is never not working – yet another reason to praise him. If it seems like you’re just as busy, take a look around. God is revealing his glory to you even now.
In 1969, the Pontiac GTO became available with a 366-horsepower Ram-Air V8. Then, in 1970, GM let Pontiac go wild and install the 455 high-output V8 as an option. “The Judge” had 360 advertised horsepower and more torque than a train, and would epitomize the macho zeitgeist of the 1970s. If you get the chance to drive one, the temptation to floor it and rattle every window on the street is real. But just listen for a moment. Listen. It’s idling. Hear that? It’s the sound of a still glory.
John V16 is the intersection of God and cars. Please support our work and donate a V16-powered 1940 Cadillac Series 90 Sixteen to John V16. Or share this article with a friend.
