December 11, 2023
As Christians who are seeking to please and serve the Lord, we are called to center our lives around God and His Word and to share His love and truth with others. Jesus said, “Whoever abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). When we succeed in a task or accomplishment, what should our reaction be? If we have given our heart and life to Jesus, we will seek His help and guidance, and will therefore want to give Him the credit and glory when He helps us to succeed.
God’s Word tells us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Psalm 107:2), and “You who make mention of the Lord, don’t be silent!” (Isaiah 62:6). The Lord wants and expects His children who know and love Him to speak up and let others know that He is their God, their eternal hope, and their Savior. We shouldn’t be ashamed or afraid to let people know that we are the Lord’s and He is the One we’re living for, and that He is the One who helps us to accomplish His will. “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
When you commit your ways to the Lord and remind yourself that He is the one who works in and through you to fulfill His good purposes, you can trust that He will guide you and act on your behalf (Psalm 37:5). As you are faithful to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” you will find that He will direct your path and bless you (Matthew 6:33). And as you acknowledge Him in all your ways, you will be glorifying Him with your life and the good that He accomplishes through you (Proverbs 3:6).
To truly accomplish God’s will and purpose, we must first acknowledge where true strength comes from: our dependence on the Lord, who said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Bible tells us the story of King Herod, a ruler who, “on the appointed day, wearing his royal robes, sat on the throne and delivered a public address to the people. After his oration, the people shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man!’ Immediately”—the Bible says—“because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:21–23).
God did not strike Herod down because he made a great speech. When he didn’t silence the people for likening him to a god, but rather took all the credit to himself, God was very displeased. “Because he did not give the praise to God.”
How different is the story of the faithful kings, prophets, and men of God throughout the Bible who the Lord was able to mightily use because they were faithful to God and gave Him the glory! A good example of this is David, who, when he was just a young lad, boldly came before the enemies of his people and accepted Goliath’s challenge to confront him in battle.
Before engaging the giant, David loudly cried out to Goliath so that all would hear, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield: But I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel!” (1 Samuel 17:45–47). When the Lord did the miracle and enabled David to triumph over the giant, everyone knew that it was God’s doing, because David had proclaimed the name of the Lord and given Him the glory—even before Goliath was defeated.
As Christ followers, we are called to proclaim our faith in Jesus as the only hope of salvation, and the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). We can testify of our faith even when we feel incapable, knowing that as the apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
In the book of Acts, we find a good example of speaking up for the Lord and giving God the glory. The apostles Peter and John prayed for a lame man who was then miraculously and instantly healed, and the Bible recounts that “All the people ran together unto them greatly marveling. But when Peter saw it, he rebuked the crowd and said, ‘Why do you look upon us as though we by our own power or godliness have done this good deed? God has glorified His Son, Jesus, and by faith in His name this deed has been done’” (Acts 3:11–12).
God’s Word says, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23–24).
If you truly believe in something, you’ll talk about it, you’ll boast about it, you’ll glory in it! If you believe in your favorite athletic team or political party, you’ll talk about them. If you enjoy and believe in your work, you’ll talk about it. If you love and believe in Jesus, you’re going to talk about Him. As Jesus said, “Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks,” and “where your treasure is, there will your heart be” (Matthew 12:34; 6:21).
You may not be a theologian, pastor, preacher, or Christian leader, but you can glorify the Lord wherever you go just by acknowledging and proclaiming the Lord and His love, and not being ashamed or afraid to share His Word and truth with others. By saying “Thank God!” when things are going well, you are giving God the glory, and it is a witness to those who hear you. Every time you share your faith or a gospel tract with others, you are being a faithful witness. Even if you only say “God bless you” to others, you are reminding them that God exists and is sovereign.
But if you feel somewhat unsure of yourself or incapable of speaking His name before others, take heart from the disciples of the early church. After the religious authorities commanded them to stop proclaiming Jesus, they desperately prayed, “Lord, consider their threats and empower Your servants to continue to speak Your word with boldness.” They confessed their weakness and fears and cried out to the Lord for help, and He answered: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29–31).
Jesus promised us, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8). So if you feel the need for more power to stand up for Jesus and to share His Word and truth with others, ask Him to fill you with the power of His Holy Spirit, and He will.
Jesus said, “Whoever shall confess me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Be faithful to live and share your faith in Jesus now, and one day you will hear Him say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!” (Matthew 25:21).
From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished December 2023. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.
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