Late spring, 1961, President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie visited France. He’d only been in office four months, but already the world had embraced the refined and fashionable First Lady.
Upon arrival in Paris, people lined the streets and shouted, “Vive Jackie!”
And as the week unfolded, she impressed them further with her knowledge of French history and culture and her command of their language, polished to perfection at the Sorbonne during her junior year of college.
With dignitaries Jackie proved to be articulate, diplomatic, and a good listener. She especially charmed their president, Charles DeGaulle.
President Kennedy, on the other hand, received a cool reception from his French counterpart. The two had not seen eye-to-eye on certain policies. Jackie helped pave the way for diplomacy between them.
At a state dinner held in the Palace of Versailles, JFK famously introduced himself as “the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris. And I have enjoyed it.”
The Hall of Mirrors where the dinner took place
Today, many still remember Jackie’s iconic style, her gentle demeanor, and stalwart courage following President Kennedy’s tragic death. But she will also “go down in history . . . for creating a dominant soft power dynamic in American politics” [1].
We also admire the way JFK humbly honored his wife at that state dinner. He appreciated her strengths that provided great benefit to him.
With this example in mind (although a weak one compared to what it illustrates!), we might understand more clearly what the psalmist meant when he wrote that God is the glory and strength of those who put their faith in him:
“Strength” we more readily understand. Many of us have experienced God’s power upholding us through crises and augmenting our efforts to serve him. But glory? What did the psalmist mean by “God is their glory?”
Perhaps the following comparisons will make the meaning clearer.
- Even more than the great benefit Jackie provided to her husband, God provides abundant benefit to us.
- As Jack gloried in Jackie, honoring her and acknowledging her worth, we glory in God.
- As Jackie made the visit to France a glowing success, so God makes his people glow with success—that is, prosperity of soul, contentment of heart, and peace of mind.
JFK understood it was Jackie who exalted his position with DeGaulle and the French people. Similarly, we need to acknowledge that our sovereign God is the one who exalts us.
We don’t have to push and strive to prove ourselves; we can rest in all the glorious attributes of our Heavenly Father, lavished upon us for our benefit [2].
But like all analogies, this one involving the Kennedys breaks down, because no one is like our God.
Beyond the examples given above to explain how God is our glory, consider these truths:
God’s magnificence
God’s infinite power gives impetus to all his perfections in our lives. After all, what good would his perfect wisdom do without the wherewithal to execute it? His unfailing mercy without the ability to apply it? His infallible promises without the capability to keep them [3]?
God’s enabling work in our lives
God’s incomparable strength is instilled in us as we rely upon him. The result? We begin to display the glory of his attributes, including: patience in the midst of stress, kindness in response to rudeness, and self-control in the face of frustration [4].
God’s power
God specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power; nothing is too small for his love. Enter God’s realm where everything is possible [5]!
Of course there are many more facets to God’s glory. And this splendorous God of wonders is our strength—even if we don’t feel tough enough, talented enough, smart enough, or engaging enough for the path ahead—even if circumstances seem against us.
That last state of affairs must have been President Kennedy’s perception as he and Jackie left for France. Little did he know how Jackie would transform their visit.
By contrast we KNOW God’s capabilities of transformation! The evidence is in scripture, history, in the lives of those around us, and in our own experience.
Therefore, let’s remember:
Praise be to God, our glory and strength!
[1] https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/jackie-kennedy-public-diplomacy-camelot
[2] Another post about God’s attributes: Rooted/
[3] 2 Peter 1:3
[4] 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 1:15
[5] Based on a quote of Corrie ten Boom, Holocaust survivor
Image credits: http://www.deviantart.com (Kralj Aleksandar); http://www.boudewijnhuijgens.getarchive.net; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.dailyverses.net (2); http://www.canva.com (2).
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I love this piece of history, and the points you draw from it, in terms of our relationship with God:) Also, JFK’s quote: “the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris. And I have enjoyed it.” That brings a smile. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this post, Katie. Praise God for his help in its formation. As I recall, the attendees at the dinner chuckled at this remark of JFK’s!
I love your wonderful piece of history and the way you have shown the comparison to faith. Well done.
Thank you, Dwight, and praise God for his inspiration! While researching Psalm 89:17, I kept hoping for a worthwhile illustration about God being our glory. All of a sudden this incident from the Kennedy years came to mind. We know where such out-of-the-blue ideas come from, don’t we!
Yes, and we must grab on to them immediately or they float right on out the door! You are very welcome.
Agreed, Dwight. I often grab a nearby scrap of paper and jot down thoughts and ideas immediately for just that reason!
You immediately drew me in with John and Jackie Kennedy’s visit to France. Comparing the benefits Jackie provided to John to the much greater benefits God provides to us made it clearer. I also enjoyed your reflections on God’s glory. Thank you, Nancy! 🙂
You’re so welcome, Nancy. Praise God you found the post worthwhile!
I really appreciated your wonderful analogy here, Nancy, and the history lesson, too. We should always give credit to others when they help us as Jackie did JFK, and forever give the thanks and praise to God when we can live for His glory in all we think, say and do. Blessings always!
Thank you, Martha. God is SO deserving of all glory and praise, and the best way to show it is living for his glory, as you say. He even helps us to achieve that satisfying purpose. Hallelujah!
Love this lesson in history. It takes a wise man to recognize the power of his ‘help meet’. A wise human understands that it has always been God from day one. I decrease and He must increase as I mature in Christ.
So glad you enjoyed the history lesson, RH. ‘Love the way you wove more scriptures into the theme of this post!
Love how you wove history with this lesson. Makes me think about how strength can be quiet yet powerful. doesn’t have to be loud and noisy.
Thank you for adding that insight to the conversation, Jean. Agreed! I’m thinking, quiet strength is frequently (maybe even nearly always) more effective than the noisy variety. Examples of such people would include Abraham Lincoln, Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks.
One of my favorite Bible verses is from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Thank you for your inspiring and uplifting post!
That’s such a good verse to keep front and center. Thank you for adding it to the conversation, Linda!
What a delightful way to describe in understandable ways the goodness and greatness of our God and how He is our strength and provision. What Jackie did for her husband was a remarkable act of grace and support. To know that God supports us every moment of every day with His grace and mercy is a greater gift than I can wrap my head around. Thanks for this, Nancy.
Beautifully said, Dayle. To think that the God of the universe lavishes the many facets of his grace upon us IS more than we can comprehend–grace that includes unfailing love, omnipotent power, infallible wisdom and guidance, the supply of all our needs, and more! Truly mind-boggling.
Great reminders, but what jumped out to me was “patience in the midst of stress, kindness in response to rudeness, and self-control in the face of frustration.” These are difficult things that we achieve best through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Agreed, Linda, what God asks of us IS difficult, but it’s all for our good and the good of those around us. He doesn’t expect us to achieve such virtues on our own. As you mentioned, his Holy Spirit is working within us. Praise God for that! Nor does he turn his back on us when we fail. Praise God for his grace and forgiveness too!
In the United States especially, we often pride ourselves on rugged individualism. But all our talents, all our opportunities, our very lives themselves are gifts from God.
Thank you for the reminder, Nancy. ❤
You’re welcome, Anna. Agreed: the idea that any person could be considered self-made doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Even an atheist would have to give credit to those around him–parents, teachers, friends, coaches, co-workers, and/or bosses–for their encouragement and support to help him achieve success.
This week’s blog reminded me of James 1:17. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
God as the source of all good gifts, both spiritual and earthly.
Everything that I do that I deemed as good is from God. God knows every challenge I face and He is my strength.
He uses His love and power to relieve me of my times of depression.
He loves me even during my times of doubt and weakness.
He is my everything!
I love that verse, Cheri. It encourages me to look for God’s good gifts in each day, to give him the credit and praise for each one. I greatly appreciate the good gifts you’ve highlighted–his strength, power, and love–because we can so easily miss them, pervasive as they are in every moment of our lives. Until something dramatic occurs, we can live blithely unaware of his strength that energizes, his power that enables, and his love that graces us–all day, every day! Thank you, Cheri, for reminding us: He IS our everything!
Nancy, I love that we can find so many lessons as we look back on history … marriage provides so many opportunities to show spiritual truths.
Thank you for sharing this!
Couldn’t agree more, Linda, that marriage provides many opportunities to show spiritual truths. I’m thinking perhaps that’s why God designed it!
Thank you for a better understanding of “glory”. Before this post I would’ve been hard-pressed to distinguish the word from others we associate with God (or with Jackie Kennedy 🙂 )
Thank you, Dave. “God’s glory” is one of those phrases we Christians use often, but are hard-pressed to to define–like trying to describe love or beauty. Timothy Keller, in Songs of Jesus, described it as “his infinite weight, his supreme importance . . . his inexpressible beauty [of character] and perfection” (43). To study the glory of God is to boggle the mind (and it will keep you busy for a long time!)😁
Ah, I like your comment here too. Love and beauty are also beyond words. It certainly helps when we use words like “infinite” and “inexpressible”. A human means to describe something a little beyond our understanding 🙂
All we can do is try! (But I believe our Heavenly Father appreciates our efforts.)