Flourish in Giving God the Glory

    Consider clay for a moment. If the lump of clay was to say to the sculptor, “I can do this on my own; I don’t need you,” what is going to happen? That lump will not gain any help from the world around it, quite the opposite; and try as it might, having no capacity within itself to change, it will remain as it is and become hardened.

    But the clay that submits to the water applied by the sculptor, knowing it is being prepared for something greater, endures the pressures applied by the sculptor’s careful hands and allows itself to be transformed from a lump to a beneficial vessel.

    God is our Creator – our Sculptor, if you will – and we are the clay. This is an oft used illustration in the Bible. Read and consider Isaiah 29:15-16; this is the clay that says it doesn’t need the Sculptor. But we, who have submitted to the Sculptor, and to the water He has provided (waters of baptism, Mark 16:15-16, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:21), are being transformed under the properly applied pressure of God’s wise and loving hands (Hebrews 12:3-11, Ephesians 4:17-24) into beneficial people. And even as sculpted clay must go through fire (kiln) to be complete, so must we also endure the fiery trials of life – the testing of our faith – but in the end we will receive the salvation of our souls (read and think on 1 Peter 1:3-9).

“But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NKJV)   

     As we have already learned in this study, we must first, give ourselves to God, because without God we can do nothing, and it is only with Him that we have access to the life-changing blessings that He bestows in mercy and kindness toward us (Ephesians 1:3-14, 1 John 4:9-10). Second, we must learn to give thanks to God. He is our Creator and Sustainer, our goodness is nothing apart from Him (Psalm 16:2); we must develop an attitude of gratitude that declares daily – and many times throughout each day – our praise and thanksgiving for all He has done, continues to do, and promises to do!

    If you do not give ourselves to God and trust His word, if we do not appreciate all that He is and all that He does and learn to give thanks to Him in everything, then we will not be able to do what is decreed throughout the Bible: give glory to God.

“Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:1-2 NKJV)

glory (Greek: doxa) means good opinion, praise, honour.  

    In reference to God it carries with it a declaration of God’s intrinsic worth and worthiness. All that God does gives rise to praise and our good opinion – everything He does is only ever for our good – our natural response to such loving goodness is to give praise and glory for such.

 “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3 NKJV)

How to Give Glory to God:

    Abraham gave glory to God when He did not waver at God promises through unbelief – he wholly trusted and was fully convinced of God’s faithfulness, His power, and His capability – and was strong in faith (Romans 4:20-21). Abraham declared God, His worth, and His worthiness to be trusted and obeyed, by trusting and obeying Him! When we, like Abraham, wholly trust and obey God, we prove “what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2) and exhibit God’s wisdom to those around us.

    In Luke 17:11-19, one leper (one among ten others who were healed by Jesus), returned to Jesus, and with a loud voice glorified God, fell down at Jesus’ feet, and gave Him thanks. Jesus said, “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? Arise, go your way, your faith has made you well.” So giving glory to God involves faith, and it also includes turning to God in humbleness, proclaiming His praise for what He has done, and giving thanks to Him for the same. When we, like the leper, are helped, we should also have a heart like his that desires to immediately run to the Source of our help, joyfully proclaim His praises on the way, and fall to our knees before Him in thanksgiving.

    When we come to know who God is and who we are before Him we will understand that without Him we were hopeless (Ephesians 2:11-13), it is He who made us and not we ourselves (Psalm 100:3), and it is He who daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19). These truths should motivate us to glorify Him by strengthening our faith, and by choosing to wholly trust Him and obey Him each day; it should fill our hearts with thanksgiving, and praise should spill over our lips in gratitude! These truths should cause us to joy in running to God, they should bring us to our knees in humble gratitude for His unfailing love and compassion! These truths should keep us from craving praise from men for what good we may accomplish (consider Matthew 6:1-4), and instead compel us to direct all praise and thanksgiving to God (Matthew 5:14-16) because He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17); it is He – and it always will be He, who deserves both the credit and the glory!

    We were once like lowly lumps of clay, but by submitting to God’s sculpting, we are now able to do good works (Ephesians 2:10, 2 Corinthians 9:8) and be beneficial people (Titus 2-3, Galatians 6:9-10)! Give God the glory – and proclaim His praises – for transforming your life and sculpting you into a woman with talent and ability to benefit others, a women who humbly obeys God and proclaims His praises (1 Peter 2:9), and one who can endure beautifully to the end!

You can do it! So can I!!