My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross

"I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;

I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;

Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,

My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross."

The final verse of a hymn by a Christian woman at the very end of her life, as she looked ahead to eternity with the Lord. It seems to me that they encapsulate the very heart of what it is to be trusting in Christ. It speaks of the highest experience that a Christian can have, when we can truly say that our only shame is our sin, that all we want is to see the face of the Lord Jesus, and that our glory is in the cross alone. And it produces love for God, and results in living increasingly godly lives, where the things of this world truly mean little to us.

The question is: how can we have this experience more often, and more deeply? I guess there are many Biblical strategies that we can adopt, especially those which involve reading and meditating upon the Word.

But, given that God alone can produce this experience of Him, perhaps the best way of reaching such a knowledge of Himself is simply to ask Him. Having asked for God's Presence to go with the Israelites, he says "show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18), and God does. If we seek Him, we will find Him - we will see His goodness, and hate our sin, and appreciate the wonder of Calvary far more than if we rely on our own efforts. And we will be better enabled to live for God in fallen world, and effectively preach the gospel, so that others can be won for Christ.

How often do we pray "show me your glory"? However much, let us do so more.