To him be the glory and honor and power forever and ever amen.
This is a copy of the devotion that I gave this morning for the school. Each student writes and gives a devotion everyday after breakfast. Today was my day. I just thought I'd share it will you all just so you can see a little more of the main part of what I do here which is studying the bible. Enjoy:
In the past few years as I’ve really sought to make my faith my own I have often questioned why God did what he did. In my pride I have even criticized him at times – which, by the way, is not something the omniscient creator of the universe really appreciates. But I think the reason I do this is often very simply because I don’t understand why he does things. I tend to think he created the world and everything in it for my benefit – or at least for the benefit of all mankind.
But he didn’t.
As I read straight through the Old Testaments last semester, a few major themes seemed to stretch across the whole thing. One was his overwhelming love and patience for Israel. The other was the reason behind that love and patience. It’s something we don’t’ talk about as much because it doesn’t always bring the warm fuzzy feelings but basically all God does comes down to one thing:
God’s primary concern in all that he does is to bring glory to himself.
Isaiah 43:7 says he created man for his own glory.
Exodus 14:4 says he hardened Pharaoh’s heart for his own glory.
Time and time again God seems to consider destroying the Israelites, but he doesn’t. Why? For the sake of HIS righteous name.
God loves us and cares for us not because we deserve it or because we’ve earned it but actually because it displays his glory to do so.
Maybe my immediate reaction is to feel a little disappointed, like I’m less important in the whole scheme of things, which is probably true – but the more I think about it the more freeing this idea is. It really isn’t about what I do, he will love me no matter what because his primary concern isn’t me but himself.
This brings me to my second point. At the same time as I often don’t understand why God does what he does, I also fail to realized why he asks me to do what I am asked to do. I’ve been a Christian for a long time and for most of that time I’ve just tried to be good for the sake of being good. I always figured God asked me not to sin because sin will eventually hurt me and he wants what’s best for me – again, this is true – but it’s more than that. Doing good without a purpose is difficult. It gets empty before long.
So what is the purpose behind all that I do as a Child of God? – simple: it’s the same as the purpose behind all that God does himself. – To Bring God glory.
Again this frees me – obviously I’m not good enough in my own strength to give glory to God through what I do – so it’s only by him shining through me that it’s even possible for me to bring him glory. I’m simply the conductor of his light. Again – it’s all about what he does and nothing about what I do.
1 Cor 10:31 says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
So this is my challenge to you all this week. Walk with purpose. Do good for a purpose. When you see an opportunity to make a right decision make it, but not just because it’s the right thing to do: rather, do it because it’s a chance to glorify God, because no one else, not even you, is worthy of being glorified by the good you do.
In the past few years as I’ve really sought to make my faith my own I have often questioned why God did what he did. In my pride I have even criticized him at times – which, by the way, is not something the omniscient creator of the universe really appreciates. But I think the reason I do this is often very simply because I don’t understand why he does things. I tend to think he created the world and everything in it for my benefit – or at least for the benefit of all mankind.
But he didn’t.
As I read straight through the Old Testaments last semester, a few major themes seemed to stretch across the whole thing. One was his overwhelming love and patience for Israel. The other was the reason behind that love and patience. It’s something we don’t’ talk about as much because it doesn’t always bring the warm fuzzy feelings but basically all God does comes down to one thing:
God’s primary concern in all that he does is to bring glory to himself.
Isaiah 43:7 says he created man for his own glory.
Exodus 14:4 says he hardened Pharaoh’s heart for his own glory.
Time and time again God seems to consider destroying the Israelites, but he doesn’t. Why? For the sake of HIS righteous name.
God loves us and cares for us not because we deserve it or because we’ve earned it but actually because it displays his glory to do so.
Maybe my immediate reaction is to feel a little disappointed, like I’m less important in the whole scheme of things, which is probably true – but the more I think about it the more freeing this idea is. It really isn’t about what I do, he will love me no matter what because his primary concern isn’t me but himself.
This brings me to my second point. At the same time as I often don’t understand why God does what he does, I also fail to realized why he asks me to do what I am asked to do. I’ve been a Christian for a long time and for most of that time I’ve just tried to be good for the sake of being good. I always figured God asked me not to sin because sin will eventually hurt me and he wants what’s best for me – again, this is true – but it’s more than that. Doing good without a purpose is difficult. It gets empty before long.
So what is the purpose behind all that I do as a Child of God? – simple: it’s the same as the purpose behind all that God does himself. – To Bring God glory.
Again this frees me – obviously I’m not good enough in my own strength to give glory to God through what I do – so it’s only by him shining through me that it’s even possible for me to bring him glory. I’m simply the conductor of his light. Again – it’s all about what he does and nothing about what I do.
1 Cor 10:31 says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
So this is my challenge to you all this week. Walk with purpose. Do good for a purpose. When you see an opportunity to make a right decision make it, but not just because it’s the right thing to do: rather, do it because it’s a chance to glorify God, because no one else, not even you, is worthy of being glorified by the good you do.
posted by Pamela Joy at 12:58 PM
1 Comments:
My first reaction was to recoil a bit and say, but, but... I quickly realized, however, that you are absolutely 100% correct. The thing I struggle with is that I sort of unconciously reduce God down to human size (human only, not all man/all God).
Then I feel idignant that God would be concerned with himself and his glory, sort of like I would if my pastor began to concern himself heavily with himself and with being glorified by his goodness. Now that sounds shocking, and it is what happens if I make God out to be smaller and less awesome than he really is.
So thank you Pamela, for helping me do a healthy reality check on my attitude toward God. As usual,
it needed correction.
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