Love this God I/we serve! I've said it before and I will say it yet again. It's all about Him. If anyone thinks that makes Him arrogant, they don't know Him. His desire is for us. His desire is that we would all be His children, that our eternal life would be secure in and through Him. But we know that not everyone will receive that. That's just the way it is.
So last night at church we continued our study of the book of Matthew. Week by week we walk slowly through a few scriptures talking in depth about them. There's no need to hurry! We are sitting at His feet and last night we were at the Lord's Prayer. Although Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray (and as an example for us), He was showing how He prays to His Father.
What was pointed out first was how we know this prayer so well it just rolls off our tongue without any thought to its meaning. It takes a concerted effort to "visualize" in our mind, spirit and heart the meaning of the words, otherwise the prayer is empty...vain or useless, producing no results, as Webster's defines it.
The kingdom, power and glory are God's. Period. I will stand by that truth always.
I had been with a friend all day yesterday and as usual a lot of our time was talking about God. It just seems natural to do this. We marvel at Him, exhort each other, ponder Him. I remember her saying, and I've felt the same way on many occasions, that He loves our conversation when it is about Him. He inclines His ear to listen as we speak, and He is glorified and joys in conversation that is centered on Him. It's a form of meditating on His Word, I think, worship. Sound like arrogance? To the natural man it is.
In the natural world a person would be looked upon as arrogant if they became puffed up by someone talking about them. Not so with God. He alone is high and lifted up, His robe filling the temple (Isaiah 6:1). He is Lord over all. He is greatly to be praised. He is the only one we should be lifting up our voices to in praise. Again, if that seems arrogant, one doesn't know this great God of ours.
He alone is to be glorified. Our lives are to be lived so that the glory of our God might be seen. This is done in all we do for Him, anything that draws attention to Him. Natural ears and minds can't understand this. But in the spiritual it is so right.
In today's twisted world God and His Word are being shoved aside, being rejected because it might offend someone. Truth can hurt. God's Word is truth. Some do not want to be reminded of or confronted with their sins. So it is natural to want silence. It's a natural, self-centered man who thinks like this. True superiority is to think somehow God or His Word will be stifled. One can do all they want to remove Him but it will backfire some day.
God is to be glorified. He created all things. He is in control. He knows what we have real need of. He offers freely. His way is narrow but true. His way leads to life, joy, peace, hope, strength if we receive and glorify Him. He protects and provides. It's all about Him. Period.
All this talk of glorifying. I awoke in the middle of the night and snippets of scripture of who our God is came to mind. I wasn't working at coming up with these words, they just were there! My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word (Psalms 119:148). Praise God. He was glorified again. Who can explain how this happens? Knowing Him is one explanation.
A "word" was given to me last night by this friend I spent the day with. Glory again to God! Besides this, I've been playing one song over and over in my car (and in my head): Knowing You. It's all about Him.
Jude 1:24-25 - Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
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