Week 10 - Wednesday

Giving Glory To God

.... giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:20b-22)

We have already seen that Abraham did not obey God perfectly and also that there were times when he struggled with his faith. Yet in spite of his doubts and failures, the Bible still says that Abraham believed God. While waiting for God to fulfill His promises, Abraham faced many difficult trials that might have caused many people to give up on God. However Abraham continued to believe God. The greatest kind of worship anyone can give God is to believe Him. When a person believes God, they are giving glory to God because they are showing Him that they believe He is able to do what He has promised to do. Faith in God also glorifies Him by affirming His character. By believing God a person demonstrates that they think He is trustworthy. Their faith in Him shows that they believe God can be trusted to do what He has says. Abraham's faith gave glory to God because he was fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. In his sinful flesh Abraham was totally incapable of meeting God's standard of perfect righteousness. However because Abraham believed God, God took his faith and reckoned it to him as righteousness.

God expects everyone to give Him glory. That is the main reason why man exists. A person who is not giving glory to God is not doing what they were created to do. When a person believes God, it gives glory to Him. The most important thing a person must believe about God is that He came to earth as a man, to die on a cross for our sins and on the third day after He died, He was raised from the dead. This means that Jesus is God. God has promised that if we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God will raise us from the dead after we die and give us eternal life. If you believe all this and receive Jesus Christ, it gives glory to God. If you do not believe this, you are dishonoring God because you are calling Him a liar (1 John 5:10-11). What about you? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God? Do you believe that He died on the cross for your sins and that He was raised from the dead? Have you received Him as your Lord and Savior? The Bible says that sooner or later, every person will bow their knee to Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord. Some people do it willingly, in this life, and when they die they will be received into God's kingdom. Others refuse to do it now. They will do it later though, on the day of judgment. Then they will be forced to bow their knee and confess that He is Lord. But for them it will be too late and they will be cast out from His presence forever. Examine your heart today. Are you giving glory to God by believing Him? Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If the answer is no, ask God to change your heart. Ask Him to give you the faith to believe Him.

Readings for today: Phil. 2:5-11; John 3:18; Isaiah 45:23; Rom. 14:11; Jer. 13:16