Are we consistent in ushering all of our success up to God? Do we take the credit ourselves when He’s moved on our behalf? I hope not!
This morning as I began reading, the thought that came to me was this: No matter how talented, how skilled, how anointed, or how familiar we are in the things of God, we must always remember it is not our own achievement.
The Psalmist said it perfectly, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115: 1)
- When we give our God His rightful place, we give others the opportunity to embrace the One true God and receive His love and faithfulness too.
- God certainly doesn’t need our help, but He welcomes it.
- An open door allows others to walk through.
In every success, every new opportunity, every action, it’s of high importance to release all praise to Him. It all goes to Him, all glory because it is His love and faithfulness that He has given.
A Call To Trust In The Lord
The Psalmist was telling the nations, not to trust in their idols. About their idols, He said this, “They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.” (Psalm 15: 5-7)
Who would want a god that’s made of silver or gold constructed by the hands of man who is lifeless and hard as a piece of metal is?
- Thank you that you, Jesus, are the One true living God.
- He died, but yet shall He live.
- Death could not even hold Him.
Here’s what He’s given us, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man.” (Psalm 115: 16)
- Our God is the maker of heaven and earth. His realm, heavenly realm, is the realm of our all-sovereign God.
- His other realm, a divinely-appointed place for man, the earth, is where we live under God’s rule and care.
We are in charge of this earthly realm, that’s why we need to be in constant communication with the Lord of heaven and earth, who can access both and still rules over both. Divine wisdom always comes from on High.
(Shared from Psalm 115, Modified)
Prophetic Act Displayed
I love how God speaks through the prophetic through acting out. He told Isaiah to “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet. And he did so going around stripped and barefoot.” (Isaiah 20: 2)
The things God asks to be acted out, prophetically, may seem foolish in the natural, but it produces something in the spiritual that we cannot see. The acting out God uses brings fulfillment. If we look at the lives of the prophets, often they acted out what God wanted to do in the lives of those He was speaking to.
For three years Isaiah prayed and went barefoot as the Lord instructed. Here’s what was produced by his obedience.
After Isaiah obeyed the Lord He said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared to Egypts’ shame.” (Isaiah 20: 3-4)
- God makes His point as the prophets yield to the symbolic significance.
- Whatever God asks you to do, no matter how foolish, just yield to what Holy Spirit is saying.
- Not everything will make sense.
All For His Glory
Watchman are appointed to look out and say, “Day after day, my Lord, I stand on the watchtower, every night I stay at my post.” (Isaiah 21: 8)
- Watchmen are those appointed who see what’s coming.
- Watchmen intercessors are appointed to know what’s coming.
The watchman sees “Babylon has fallen, has Fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered, on the ground.” (Isaiah 21: 9)
- The fall of the kingdom meant the disgrace of its gods.
Yet, in all the prophecies against the wicked nations, One is coming, who came. Isaiah saw it, “I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David. What He opens no man can shut and what He shuts no man can open.” (Isaiah 22: 22)
- Wait for the open door–Jesus is the open door.
(Shared from Isaiah 20-22, Modified)
Living To Please Him Will Give Him All Glory
Living in a way to please God is what the Holy Spirit guides us in. It’s important that we don’t reject this instruction. “He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 8)
So what was His instruction? To live sanctified lives. In the first century moral standards were generally very low, and chastity was regarded as an unreasonable restriction. Paul didn’t want them to compromise God’s clear standings.
- The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.
- That’s why we need Him in our lives.
- Yielding to Him will help us not to compromise.
It’s All Going Back To Him
When Jesus comes back, He’s calling us to Him. “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17)
- It’s all for Him and all about Him.
Not to us, but to your name be the glory!
(Shared from 1 Thessalonians 4, Modified)
UNBROKEN LOVE SERIES
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