September 9, 2013
You are a Reflection of God’s Glory
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth - everyone who is called by my name whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made, (Isaiah 43:6-7 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Have you ever wondered why you were created? You were created for God’s glory and to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), because it pleased Him to do so (Ephesians 1:5). The concept of glory can be a difficult concept to wrap our human minds around. It seems so otherworldly. We can catch glimpses of its meaning throughout Scripture, but then like a shooting star that appears for a just a moment, it quickly slips away into the vast expanse of God’s infinite wisdom. But let’s see what we can know about this bigger-than-life word.
In the Old Testament, the most common Hebrew word for glory is kabod meaning “weight, honor, esteem.” The Bible associates God’s glory with how He manifests Himself or makes His presence known. Some theologians refer to these as theophanies. He made His presence known in a devouring fire (Exodus 24:16-17), a moving cloud (Exodus 13:21) and a still small voice (Exodus 33:18). His glory is reflected in creation (Psalm 19:1) and in His sovereign control of history (Psalm 135:10-12). His glory is made known through the life of simple human beings like you and me.
The same concept of God’s glory is in the New Testament in the Greek word doxa, which meansglory, honor, and splendor.John wrote, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). After Jesus’ first miracle, turning the water into wine, John wrote: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him” (John 2:11). In Hebrews 1:3, the writer reveals this about Jesus: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
The verb form of glory, to glorify, is doxazo, and primarily denotes “to magnify, extol, praise, to ascribe honor to God, acknowledging Him as to His being, attributes, and acts, i.e., His glory. It is the revelation and manifestation of all that He has and is. When we glorify God, we are giving a display or manifestation—or a reflection—of His character. To magnify God is to make Him easy to see. Jesus said that the disciples would glorify God when they bore fruit (John 15:8). Through their actions, they would point others to God and make Him easy to see.
God’s glory is how He makes Himself known. It is almost incomprehensible to think that He would choose mere human beings to accomplish such a task. But as Scripture tells us, we were created in His image (Genesis 1:26) and as a display of His glory (Isaiah 43:7). You were created to make God recognizable to others—to show others what God is like. He makes Himself recognizable to us and through us. The glory of any created thing is seen when it is fully fulfilling the purpose for which it was created…and that includes you and me.
Glory. It’s a big word—a weighty word.
Today, look for ways that God makes Himself known to you and through you.
Let’s Pray
Lord, I pray that I will glorify You today. I pray that my actions and words will make You easier to see. I pray that You will open my eyes to see Your glory as I live and move and have my being in You today. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Look up all the verses mentioned in today’s devotion and write down what you learn about the word glory.
If someone were to ask you to define “glory,” what would say?
What are some ways that you can glorify God today? Let’s share our answers at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes.
More from the Girlfriends
One way that we glorify God is in the words we speak. If you would like to learn more about how to control your tongue and use your words to speak life to those around you, then check out Sharon’s book, The Power of a Woman’s Words. On her website you can watch a video and download a free chapter of this life-changing book. It also has a Bible study guide and DVD for group or individual study. Today’s devotion was taken from my book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More.You can check that out on my website as well.
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