Following God can sometimes feel like a balancing act between a spirit of resolve and a spirit of deference. Consider Abraham, to whom God said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac … and offer him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham was so resolute and devoted to God’s instructions that he built an altar, tied Isaac to it, and actually raised a knife over his son’s body. Can you imagine being this sure of God’s plans, even when they appear awful? At the same time, Abraham remained open—the moment the angel of the Lord told him to stop, He yielded.
As believers, we want to remain focused on the Lord’s call, and yet we must do so with both flexibility and sensitivity to His voice. By listening and responding to His Spirit, we can be sure we’re participating in building His kingdom on earth, no matter what path He chooses for us. At the end of the day, the goal is cling to Him, not to plans themselves.
Have you ever comforted people going through a hard time by reminding them of the marvelous truth of Romans 8:28? Most of us are quick to quote this verse to others, but how often do we claim it for ourselves? What happens when we’re the ones going through a difficult season of life?
Proclaiming faith in the truths and promises of the Bible is not the same as applying them to our own life in the midst of trying times. It’s one thing to know Scripture intellectually, but it’s something else to live by faith. And disappointments are great opportunities to put our faith into action. Since God always works them for our benefit, they’re actually proof that He loves us. Our heavenly Father actively oversees our lives, and difficulties are one way we’re shaped into the likeness of Christ.
We can profit from hard circumstances by growing in faith, wisdom, character, and knowledge of the Lord. Even though God’s best may not turn out to be what we hoped or wanted, He has promised to work everything out for our good. It’s helpful to remember that He is more interested in the eternal value of our spiritual growth than in our temporary relief from difficulty.
God’s blessings to us are not meant to end with us. His desire is that they flow to others. This principle applies in all areas of life, including finances. Did you know that our heavenly Father has plans for your money?
The Lord graciously provides for our needs and even our wants. But He also wants us to use our money to achieve His plans. And one of His goals is that we share our resources with others.
Just look at His extravagant promise in verse 8 of today’s passage: “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” Sharing blessings with others will never lead to deprivation. In fact, the Lord promises to increase the harvest of our righteousness and enrich us in everything in response to our generosity. We can never outgive God.
A hoarded blessing won’t ever be enjoyed as richly as a shared one. Using your gift to meet someone else’s need glorifies God by demonstrating His grace at work in your life. Don’t let His generous provisions end with you. Pass them on and discover the joy of a never-ending cycle of blessings.
Glorifying God isn’t limited to church. In fact, praise ought to permeate every area of our life. But how is that done?
One obvious way that we praise the Lord is with our voices. True worship flows from the mouths of believers who are focused on God’s attributes. They desire to honor Him because of who He is, what He’s done, and what He has promised for the future. Genuine worship allows the Lord to fill our hearts and minds with His presence anywhere.
Our God is also praised when we serve Him. We were created for the purpose of bringing honor and glory to His name. Therefore, nothing should limit our willingness to work for the King, particularly when we have a chance to share Him with others. Christ is honored when His followers speak boldly about His grace and His work—believers’ testimonies are a remarkable and honoring form of praise that magnifies God’s name.
Jesus Christ is worth more than any treasure this world offers. Loving Him and understanding what He has done for us should be all the motivation we need to praise Him with our life—no matter where we are.
Revelation 5
John’s revelation of heaven’s throne room is a picture of true praise. He describes the place exploding with worship and adoration of Jesus. Those present—the elders and “myriads of myriads” of angels (Rev. 5:11)—are motivated to sing their love of Christ because they know who He is. He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He is the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the only one worthy to judge the earth and bring forth its renewal.
What motivates believers to lift hands and voice in worship—shouldn’t the reason be to praise the Savior for who He is? To do that, we must take the time to know as much as we can about Him. That happens through regular Bible study and prayer that is less self-focused.
Once we glimpse a side of Christ’s character that’s bigger and more amazing than we realized, there will be a yearning to know more. We hunger and thirst for God because only He can truly satisfy (Matthew 5:6).
Praise is part of a cycle: Learn more of God’s character, love Him more deeply, worship and serve Him better, and receive spiritual fulfillment. Amazingly, even as we are satisfied, we crave more of His presence in our life. And so we dig into His Word and continually gain in the Lord.
