To God Be The Glory!

SCRIPTURE

Acts 3:11-16 (NRSV)

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's God glorifies Jesus

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's Portico, utterly astonished. When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

DEVOTION

Today’s scripture is one of the most beloved in my tradition. This is the story where Peter, James, and John heal a blind beggar man who had been handicapped from birth!

Who doesn’t love the account of his legs being strengthened and his walking, jumping, and praising God as he went into the temple courts with Jesus’ disciples?

This reading reminds me of the importance of giving glory to God when good things happen to you or by your hand.

Peter, James, and John could have accepted the people’s astonishment, adoration, worship, and praise, but they did not.

Instead, they adamantly declared, “By faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.”

It seems to me that if we are willing to brag on God and make the name of Jesus famous everywhere that we go, then God will be able to trust us to do great and marvelous things--in Jesus' Name!

God does not use our hands, feet, mouths, brains, and hearts so that we can get the glory. Rather, God takes our willingness to submit our lives in service to the Kingdom of Love as a sacrifice of praise meant to glorify God’s Son—Jesus Christ!

When I was a little girl, my church choir sang a song. The chorus said, “To God be the glory! To God be the glory! To God be the glory, great things He has done!”

I always want to live my life so that God gets the glory. No matter what good may befall me, may God get the glory! No matter what ministries I may carry out nationally or internationally, may God get the glory! No matter where I work or what I do, may God get the glory! No matter who my husband is or what my children accomplish in life, may God get the glory! In all things, seen and unseen, known and unknown, natural and supernatural, may God get the glory!

I hope you feel the same way. If so, please pray with me:

Holy One, you are great and greatly to be praised! Please help me to live my life so that every person who encounters me, encounters Christ! Please forgive me for the many times I have taken credit for my own success. I know that all good and perfect gifts come from you. You deserve all the glory for the great things you have done! Thank you so much for loving the whole world as you do; thank you for giving Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. Please fill me up with your Holy Spirit so that I can share your love and good news with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaL