The Glory of God

I awoke this morning to an angry looking sky much like the one in this picture.Rainy season has started here in Oregon.Thankfully such a dreary sky did not dampen my enthusiasm for my devotional time spent with the Lord.And even more wonderful than that is the fact that it did not impair God's ability to bless me through the following devotional writing.Smile.I hope you are equally blessed:

When God's power is manifested in the world,in His creation or in His people,God is glorified.When we pray that our lives may glorify Him,we are asking that the self may be put down,for it is not possible to show the power of God and at the same time to glorify what George MacDonald called"the bastard self."

We must be prepared to lose ourselves,whatever that may entail,that God may be all in all.Losing an argument for His sake,losing something we held dear,losing face,reputation,a position of power or superiority,losing a claim on someone or on his affection or respect-can these be a part of the answer to our prayer to glorify God in our lives?

Assuredly they can,for assuredly the Son Himself laid aside all such assets when He came to do the will of the Father.

"I have glorified thee on the earth"(John 17:4,KJV),He said-and that glory was manifested through weakness,loss and suffering.What a priveleged position we are called to share.

Lord,lift up our eyes,away from ourselves and our small losses,up to the glory yet tobe revealed.Teach us that it is only out of weakness that we are made strong,only as we suffer that we may reign,only as we lose that we may gain.

~Taken from"A Lamp Unto My Feet"by Elisabeth Elliot~

Photo courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com