So many times within our lives as Christians, we can get way too caught up into what is called the “horizontal:” - all those things around us; People, family, work, school, bills, sports, etc… Not that any of these things are inherently bad, but we can get so caught up in looking side to side, that we then forget that our focus is not to be side to side - but straight up! But not rescue us from culture or media or government – no, he needs to rescue us from us. (Psalms 46:1 NKJV) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. The seed that landed on rocky places did not have much soil. God has established three institutions upon which our society rests: the family, government, and church. Telling our personal stories of suffering can be dangerous, but it’s worth it. Seven Ways God Uses Tough Times to Shape Our Lives By William D. Black New Life Ministries. In other words, Paul is making it clear that abounding and having plenty and having abundance is as much of a challenge to the glory of God in our lives as is suffering. Unfortunately, most of us believe we have to be something we can never be before God can be glorified in our lives. None of us has given God the full glory he deserves from our lives. The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 9. The fact is, we don’t know in advance whom God has chosen. But take heart! Here are four ways that we can allow God's work in our lives. The Proper Response To God’s Glory. But the important thing is, He does. He saves the rebel and takes hold of the wanderer. More and more Father, we feel a need to cling ever more closely to You, with each passing day, knowing that You are a God Who never changes towards us. It’s not just going to happen after the great resurrection when we get our glorified bodies, either. These three institutions are the foundation of society. One caveat. Refusing to bring glory to God is prideful rebellion, and it is the sin that caused Satan’s fall---and ours, too. 60:1–3). God will work it into His good purpose for our lives and for His glory. Therefore, they can only be moralistic in their self-determination of meaning and purpose. When we see the all-powerful God on the throne of the universe—God our Father committed to our good—we are relieved of much stress. This truth is often not particularly comforting to someone in the grips of an illness. Also, in the context of telling us that God our Savior “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. So, Paul had to learn something peculiar and special and deep to help him know how to abound. Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late...” (Jeremiah 13:15-17). You Get The Glory God out of our lives!! The presence of God suddenly inhabits all the big and little details of our lives. 43:7). It’s not that God turns His back on those who don’t follow His plan for their lives. God accomplishes his work through these institutions. For the others, the grace of God is in vain. God does indeed care about the “little things” in our lives, because He cares about us. As a Believer, we must remember that just because we have received Christ as Savior, and we have the indwelling of God’s glory by means of the Holy Spirit, that does not automatically mean that God’s glory will be seen in our conduct . As a faithful Levite, Malachi, notes the deceit of the priests as well as the laymen by offering corrupt, i.e. Bringing glory to God with our lives means that we are doing supernatural things that can only be attributed to Him. Either way, it causes me to look back with an awe, trust, and deeper love for my Savior. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus described several situations. The meaning of our lives is to bring glory to God (Isa. 5. Then, in His compassion, He transforms us. God knows our way, and we are only passing through. This is why Jesus came to earth, lived righteously on our behalf, died for our dysfunction, then rose again conquering sin and death. You can see and experience the glory of God, but you must diligently ask and seek for it to be revealed. In different ways we have all lived for our own glory, not God’s. We will come out “as gold,” tested, tried, and true. Yes, God knows His purpose in the sickness and that things will turn out for our good and His glory, but that purpose is not always evident to us. He allows us to choose whether to have our own way or His way. He reminds us that will “come out” to the other side. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. He heals the sick. We may not always know what the Master Artist is doing in our lives. This helps me to stop worrying about how things are going to work out. The fact that God is still accomplishing his purposes which he planned before the foundation of the world, even without being in control of everyone and everything, reveals God to be even more glorious. Check out these 10 ways to glorify God all day and every day: In our thoughts. Compared to Him and His glory, our whole lives are made up of those “little things.” Psalm 139:17–18 says, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! The fire of God’s glory coming out of us is what’s going to fill the earth! He lifts our burdens and gives us peace. In this world you will have trouble. For example, today’s passage speaks of the glory of our Creator and not the sun being the light that shines forth in this dark world, revealing itself through God’s people that they might point the pagan nations unto the Lord of all (Isa. Once again God demanded the truth. CBN.com – Tribulation tests our identity as Christians – Tribulation tests our identity. Unbelievers do not know God. 2. Soli Deo gloria is about God and how he glorifies himself, but one magnificent way God glorifies himself is through glorifying us and enabling us to glorify him through faith, worship, and wholehearted service to him and our neighbors. 2:4), Paul tells us to pray for all men (1 Tim. God does not work His good in our lives when we don’t love Him or turn our backs on Him. “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). is at Worship At the Round Table. 2:1). Even if I can’t see how, I can be confident that God is working for his glory. I have overcome the world." Changed for the better, stronger, shining, beauty deepened from within. We All Fall Short of the Glory of God. When Abraham and Sarah received Isaac, they could say, “Only by the grace of God.” If they had received him earlier, while they still had hope, naturally speaking, God would not have been glorified; however, God does not give His glory to another. Draw Near To God The Lord’s powerful work in our lives is also meant for the strengthening and growth of the church. What we are required to do is abide in Christ as a branch in a tree. God is not on his throne wringing his hands as he waits for the outcome of events. Without God we can do nothing, thus the fruits of being a Christian are a result of God’s work of grace in our lives, not by our efforts. Quite the contrary. Your painful story brings God glory, and others need it. Our only hope is for the God of glory to invade our lives and rescue us. Sometimes God delivers me from my circumstances, but when he doesn’t, he always equips and carries me through. And that’s Trent’s very question. Acknowledging the truth that other forces besides God are at work in our world doesn’t take any glory away from God. We can show forth God’s glory right here and now, so the lost can witness it and be swept into God’s kingdom by the millions. That was a quick look at this glory of God, the need of humans for this glory and God’s provision so humans can have this glory. God is sovereign and powerful, but He's also just in the sense that He doesn't force His will over us. That is what the Christian life is all about.” R. C. Sproul. God loves everybody, but He cannot help and use those who close their lives to Him and His plan for their lives. One of the most common ways God uses our life experiences for good is TO HELP OTHERS. The only work that a branch does is remain in the tree, then life giving sap and nutrients come up through the tree giving it life and producing fruit. So often, where God is taking us is less about our destination and more about our journey of becoming like Jesus. When Moses saw the glory of God, he asked, saying, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18, NKJV). We might despair in the pattern of our own sinfulness because we recognize our own inability to fix the problem. God's way is good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2) and we should allow God to work that plan into us. My heart is peaceful when I remember that God promises to work for his glory and our eternal good. If you have ever felt like that, I bring you hope and a plan of attack to get out from under the mire. blemished sacrifices (Malachi 1:13-14). Talents: How we use our God-given gifts is another question we are challenged to analyze in our lives. When we pray, God takes action. We legitimately go through times of questioning God and feelings of pain. But God is on the right side of the tapestry—the side He is weaving into a beautiful work of art. TRi-FAiTH is at Worship At the Round Table. But Scripture does indeed say both that all glory belongs to God and that his people share in that glory. God knows our minds and our hearts, and our inner self usually reflects our outer actions, deeds and attitudes. I want to look at 5 ways you and I can give God glory every day. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. He’s big enough and gracious enough to tackle our mess until the day He decides that construction is complete and He takes us home. As a result, every single Christian, and every single Christian church should be learning as much as they possibly can from this one Holy Book so people’s lives can be changed and transformed for the glory of our Lord and Savior. God’s love covers us …and cleanses us. Nothing we can do brings greater tribute to God, nothing more fully accomplishes God's purposes than our allowing God to reveal His glory through our lives. He provides for our needs. That is, they have no objective moral standard that exists outside of themselves, and so they have no way of knowing what their ultimate purpose really is. When we pray the glory into the earth, miracles, signs and wonders will occur in the Church and in our own personal lives. Offering God our “second best” in worship, profanes the name of the Lord. He empowers us to overcome our sin. And then Paul says, “or whatever you do.” Wow, so no matter what it is we do — everything — the most mundane, unimportant stuff in our life, should be “for the glory of God.” We enter into God’s presence by preparing our heart. 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