APRIL 1, 2010

IT'S IN

THE WORKS

Scripture Reading- Psalm 9:1

"I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart;

I will shew forth all they marvellous works."

As we come to appreciate something of the glory of God, the only proper response is that we will tell others about Him. We may bear witness in any of the following ways: by singing hymns, by witnessing to others orally, and by allowing the Lord to work in our lives so others see something different in us-something that could have come only from God.

It's impossible to grit our teeth and to work up such a demonstration of God's glory in our lives. Rather this demonstration comes automatically as we spend time in His presence, learning more about Him from His Word and through prayer. If we don't allow God to work in our lives in these ways, we prevent the means by which He desires to manifest His glory that He placed in us at salvation.

When others observe us as we praise God in the midst of trying circumstances, exhibiting godly choices when irritations and difficult relationships confront us, we increase God's glory.

Many Christians struggle with knowing God's will for their lives. Yet if they would make glorifying God the focus of their lives, His will would fall into place step by step. First Corinthians 10:31 exhorts us, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." If our focus is on glorifying God in everything-even the small things of life-it will be impossible for us to miss God's will!

Perhaps the most exciting benefit of glorifying God is that when we glorify Him, we become more like Him. Second Corinthians 3:18 says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

SELAH: What is there about your life that you can explain only by God's working in you?

-T.P. Johnston, Jr.-