Song of the Day
“Glory to God Forever” by Steve Fee
Scripture to reflect upon
(Please hover, or click onto, the Scriptures to read the specified text!)
Devotional thought
“Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory”. This is a line in the bridge from our song of the day, but I wonder if we even understand the implications of such a request. What are we saying when we say that we want to live our lives for the Gory of God?
Glory, or “Doxa” in the greek language, is equivalent to majesty, honor, brilliance, radiance, praise, brightness, among other similar attributes. It is used 166 times in the New Testament! One of those uses is in 1 Corinthians 10:31 where Paul tells his readers to do “everything” to the glory of God.
Well, if we look at the context of that text we will see that Paul is talking about being respectful of our neighbors! There is a connection in the way we conduct ourselves with one another and the Glory of God. When we love one another like Christ commands us too, we bring God glory.
If we forgive others, point people to Jesus, reject sin, choose mercy over judgement, and so on, we are bringing glory to God! When lived according to God’s design, our lives will point back to Him and will result in His glorification. The brilliance of His majesty shows up best in lives transformed by His grace and power! As 2 Cor 3:18 says, we are being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to reflect the glory of God to others and back to Him!
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”
― Westminster Shorter Catechism
As the quote states above, our ultimate goal in life is to return any and all glory to God. Anything that is good in us, points to God! The people around us will always be reminded of the beauty and splendor of God when we are living for His glory, because we will always be speaking of Him and acting as He does!
So, the question is, Do you live your life to the glory of God? Only you can answer that question, and the answer is found in your conduct and speech – not your intentions!
- How do you talk to people?
- When people are around you, do they see evidence of God in your life?
- What do you do when people praise you?
- Is your life an offering of praise to the God who saved you? In what ways?
Prayer
God of Glory, I offer You my praise and glorify Your name even now. You are majestic and full of glory, and I want to live my life to reflect that glory to everyone around me. Holy Spirit, please allow the transformation that is happening in me to radiate God’s glory always! And help me to live my life in a way that will bring praise, glory, and honor to You! In Jesus name. Amen.
