November 17
A Desire for God's Glory
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. - Romans 11:36
"To him be glory forever." This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and serve as tributaries to this.
The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only inasmuch as it may help him to promote this--"To him be glory forever."
He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that he may declare, "To him be glory forever."
You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than a single focus on the Lord's glory. As a Christian, you are "from him and through him," and so you must live "to him." Do not let anything set your heart beating so fast as love for Him. Let this ambition fire your soul; may this be the foundation of every enterprise upon which you enter, and your sustaining motive whenever your zeal would grow cold. Make God your only object. Depend upon it--where self begins, sorrow begins; but if God is my supreme delight and only object,
To me 'tis equal whether love ordain My life or death--appoint me ease or pain.
Let your desire for God's glory be a growing desire. You blessed Him in your youth; do not be content with such praises as you gave Him then.
Has God prospered you in business? Give Him more as He has given you more.
Has God given you experience? Praise Him by stronger faith than you exercised at the beginning. Does your knowledge grow? Then sing more sweetly.
Do you enjoy happier times than you once had? Have you been restored from sickness, and has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then give Him more music; put more coals and more sweet spices into the censer of your praise.
Practically in your life give Him honor, offering the "Amen" of this doxology to your great and gracious Lord by your own individual service and increasing holiness.
Family Bible reading plan
verse 1 1 Chronicles 9, 10
verse 2 Hebrews 12
Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification
By Sinclair Ferguson
As Christians, we become transformed by the renewing of our minds. Ultimately, how we think, as shaped by our hearing the Word of God, will determine how we will live for God’s glory.
Author and pastor Sinclair Ferguson describes this transformative process in what he describes as a ‘blueprint for sanctification’. Devoted to God builds a strong and reliable framework for practical Christian living, stressing several fundamental issues, such as: union with Christ, spiritual growth, the reality of spiritual conflict, and the role of God’s law.
Here is a fresh approach to an always relevant subject, and a working manual to which we can turn again and again for biblical instruction and spiritual direction.
Click here to learn more about Truth For Life
From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.
