The story of Purim, out of the Old Testament book of Esther centers around God’s covenantal faithfulness and His defense of His people.   Each of these characteristics of God will be magnified in the deliverance that leads to the establishment of the Messianic kingdom upon the Earth.  Indeed, the second coming of the Messiah will be considered the final fulfillment of Purim (Revelations 19: 11-16). (Hebrew 4 Christians)

We are all looking for the return of Jesus in the sky.  And that will happen.  Therefore, we must be ready!  Our body, mind and spirit must be made ready for Him to abide within us, for do you not know that your body is His temple?

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV

You must be outfitted with clothes of righteousness, and this only comes through Jesus’ washing you.

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  John 13:8 NIV

Jesus comes for each of us in a deeply personal way to give us His acceptance and love.  He begins by going into the wilderness with us and carries us out.  A wonderful depiction of this process is in the video Amen by King and Country.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12 NIV

Jesus walks with us thru life and we are to walk with each other through it too.

My wilderness period began ten years ago, and I heard Jesus say to me very clearly, “Look for the Light and the Glory.”  At the time I was incredulous and indignant exclaiming, “the light and the glory! I see no light and glory in all this!  What do you mean the light and the Glory?!”

He then gave Romans 5: 1-5 to me.

THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.  Romans 5:1-5 AMPC

What followed was a period of faith building.  My life was unraveling, but I held to the promises in the verses in Romans 5, and looked for the light and the glory while I didn’t understand what that would be, exactly.  I needed Jesus to become real to me, like that poem The Velveteen Rabbit.

As I followed Him, listening for His voice and obeying, He, the Light, did indeed appear to me and my life has not been the same since.  My thoughts and attention are focused on Him and my desire to help awaken others to His very real presence and the reality of His kingdom all around us.

…If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.  Revelation 3:20 NIV

The glory then, is simply, God’s active moving, and unmistakable presence in your life, where there is no separation and distance between you and Him.

Does this make my life perfect, “No, in some cases suffering has increased.  As sons and daughters, we participate in His body and blood, His sufferings.

I pray for each of you to receive the peace of Jesus and unshakable confidence in Him.