Wednesday: Giving Glory to God

A study of the use of the phrase in the Old Testament “to give glory to God” (Revelation 14:7) shows that it, interestingly enough, often (but not only) appears in the context of divine judgment (Joshua 7:19; 1 Samuel 6:5; Jeremiah 13:15-16; Malachi 2:2), just as it does in the first angel’s message, as well (Revelation 14:7). This idea is seen, too, in Revelation 19:1-2, — ”Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments“ (NKJV).

Read 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; and 1 Corinthians 10:31. How do these passages help us understand one way that we can glorify God?

According to the apostle Paul, our bodies are a sanctuary, the dwelling place of the Spirit of God, a temple made holy by the presence of God. The Scriptures give us a clarion call to glorify God in every aspect of our lives. When God is the center of our lives, our one desire is to give glory to Him, whether with our diet, our dress, our entertainment, or our interaction with others. We give glory to God as we reveal His character of love to the world through our commitment to doing His will. This is even more important in the light of earth’s end-time judgment.

Read Romans 12:1-2. What appeal does the apostle Paul make regarding the totality of our life choices?

The New Testament Greek word for bodies in this passage is somata, which is better translated the collective sum of who you are — body, mind, and emotions. The Phillips translation of the Bible translates the expression ”reasonable service“ as an ”act of intelligent worship.“ In other words, when you make a total commitment to ”fear God“ and ”glorify Him“ in all you do, giving your mind, body, and emotions to Him, this is an act of intelligent worship. And, too, in light of God’s judgment, taking heed to obey is, indeed, a good idea.

Think about what you do with your body. What can you do to make sure that you are, indeed, glorifying God with it?

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Amen!