El Hakkavod –The God of Glory
How can one even begin to describe the glory of God? All throughout Scripture, His glory is described as something that is revealed, experienced, and even seen (Numbers 14:22, Isaiah 40:5, and Exodus 16:10). With that being said, I have come to understand that the glory of God can be made known through external and outward manifestations of His greatness.
I asked several women to share moments where God met them in tangible and undeniable ways. I asked them to share stories of His glory in their lives. In hearing their testimonies and even reminiscing on my own, I recognized a pattern. Our glory stories reveal an aspect of who He is to us.
The Glory of God in our Weakness
“During my undergraduate experience at Oral Roberts University, I walked through a season marked by profound grief. That year, several close friends and loved ones passed away, and the weight of loss felt constant and heavy. At the same time, I was serving as a chaplain, entrusted with caring for and encouraging an entire floor of students through an especially difficult semester. Internally, I felt depleted—like I had nothing left to give. I was pouring out while quietly grieving myself.
One morning during chapel worship, I closed my eyes and saw a vivid image of a girl standing in the row in front of me. I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart that she was struggling deeply with anxiety and grief. I then felt Him prompting me to pray for her in that moment. Immediately, doubt rose up. I was facing the very same struggles and felt unqualified—emotionally and spiritually—to minister to anyone. I remember questioning God, asking, “Where is my comfort? Who is praying for me?” Yet the prompting did not leave, and in obedience, I stepped out of my seat and approached her.
As we spoke, she began to share her heart and told me that just moments earlier she had cried out to God, telling Him she felt completely alone and asking Him to prove Himself by sending someone to encourage her. As I prayed for her, she began to weep—and so did I. In that moment, the Holy Spirit brought Scripture to mind, including: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). I began to speak Scripture over her, and as I did, something shifted. The heaviness I had been carrying lifted, and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of joy. We both began rejoicing and laughing in the presence of the Lord.
That single act of obedience became the very way God met me that day. In that season, He was my peace, my guide, and my healer. Though grief is still a process, the Lord gave me a moment of divine refreshment that carried me through some of my darkest days. On top of this, He gave me a lifelong friend through it as well. I may not fully understand His ways, but I have learned to trust them, knowing that “His ways are higher than mine” (Isaiah 55:8–9). Looking back, that season taught me that God often meets us not when we feel strongest, but when we choose obedience in our weakness. In doing so, He reveals Himself as faithful, gentle, and deeply personal. He is Jehovah Uzzi – “The Lord my Strength.”
by Sarah Joseph, Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Glory of God in the Waiting
“In the Bible, what do Hannah, Rebekah, Sarah, Rachel and Elizabeth all have in common? They all faced prolonged seasons of barrenness. It seemed like the desires they had, and the promises of the Lord were never going to happen for them. God seemed to be way past His due date in fulfilling His promises to these women.
Nevertheless, He was still working and performing the miracles of new life at the right time. He didn’t just fulfill promises to these women; He birthed greatness that changed history.
Jesus can bring breakthrough for you, too. He sees you and He hears you. We are not defined by infertility but rather by our identity in Christ, through whom we have been adopted into God’s family.
Infertility was a season my husband I went through. I was broken and depressed. Negative test after negative test, I thought we were never going to have a child. People started to question “Why aren’t you pregnant, yet?” or “Why don’t you just adopt?” or the worst question, “Do you even want kids? Is that why y’all aren’t trying?” But I would remind myself that God has His perfect timing for EVERY. SINGLE. THING.
After years of trying, the Lord led us to seek a fertility doctor who helped me manage fertility diagnoses and medications. During this time, we knew that the Lord was teaching us to be patient and to have faith that He would provide us with a child. We prayed daily, read the Word, and had a daily devotional focusing on married couples going through infertility. We also had our church mentors whom we would ask for prayers and Godly advice because they had a similar infertility journey.
One thing my husband and I would recommend and encourage other couples to do during their infertility journey is to surround themselves with a few people they can pray with during this time. Finally, in God’s perfect timing, I became pregnant. This is my husband and I’s testimony for even through fertility challenges, God fulfills desires that are aligned with His will. We learned to trust Him even at our lowest. Jesus made a way and always will. He was my strength and healer during this season. We are now expecting our first baby girl, and we cannot wait to see how the Lord will use her for His glory. “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). He is El-Hane'eman – “The God Who is Faithful”
by Renae Elizabeth Sabater Baradi, Fort Worth, Texas
The Glory of God in Disappointment
The past few years have been anything but easy. I noticed that in my final year of college, I had every reason to feel fulfilled. I had an amazing family, beautiful friendships, positions in leadership, I went on a mission trip to Argentina, I bought a new car and even went on a long-awaited trip back home to the Philippines after eight years. However, beneath all the good things, I felt exhausted and empty.
The good things from God always fail in comparison to God Himself. My heart became convicted as I came to the humble realization that I was doing many things for the Lord, but I was not always doing it with Him.
The following year looked completely different. A relationship came to an end, I navigated different medical complications that required multiple procedures, I felt the pain of broken expectations from promising job opportunities, and I spent multiple nights in tears as a beloved family member distanced himself.
In the midst of a season that felt like it was marked by heartache and grief, the Lord brought Jeremiah 2:13 to my heart: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
I then realized that the broken cisterns in my life were being exposed. In other words, God was pruning the places where I found comfort, identity, and joy apart from Him. Although the process was gruesome, it led me back to the Living Water, the only One who truly satisfies.
As the Lord became my all, I have experienced strength, joy, freedom, and refuge that truly cannot be shaken. Today, I no longer measure success by worldly achievement, but by my closeness to my Heavenly Father. He is Di Ou Ta Panta – “My Everything.”
Nikki Victorious, Fort Worth, Texas
May these stories of His glory remind us of the indescribable wonder of our Heavenly Father. For even in the outward manifestations of His glory, He not only reveals His power, but also who He is. The outpouring of His glory invites us to know Him more deeply and to value our relationship with Him more than anything else. He truly is El Hakkavod –The God of Glory.”
