The Glory Fills The Temple

In Second Chronicles we see a very powerful display of God's awesome power. In Chapter 7 verse 1 it reads: 1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying:

“For He is good,

For His mercy endures forever.”

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.

The King and all the people offered sacrifices to the Lord, these sacrifices were the outward completion of the inward work that had taken place in the hearts of those in attendance. The prayer of Solomon in the previous chapter contains all the elements of what it takes to please our most Holy Lord, recognition of our sin and a humbling of our heart enough to turn back toward the place of the Lord and face Him with our corruption with a broken and contrite heart, not one full of deceit or pride. Jesus came so that we might have life and that life more abundantly, walking in the fear of the Lord.
So Solomon's prayer pleased God and He accepted the sacrifice in dramatic fashion and His glory filled the temple. It was then the people bowed and worshiped the Lord with a renewed sense of humility. There is no secret to pleasing God, there never has been. The way to please the Lord is to come to Him with a broken and contrite heart, one that does not hide behind sin or dress it up and pridefully try to make Him accept it.
Purity of heart is what He desires and only what is and ever has been acceptable to Him. Jesus came to fulfill a great final sacrifice of Sin's curse. He had to give His all to complete this most loving task, yet we so many of us, cannot even turn and repent when we are faced with our sins that cause a brokenness in fellowship with our Lord. Living in pride and boasting of a life filled with God's glory is blasphemy. Living a life of brokenness leads to the hand of God coming down to consume such a sacrifice and fill that temple with His glory. The secret to God's awesome power being displayed in one's life is the secret of brokenness and humility.