Thankful in God’s Glory

READY

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” -- Psalm 19:1 NLT

SET

My favorite memory of running track and field was my mother. My mom is five feet, one inch with a compassionate heart for others and a radiant smile. She came to every one of my high school track meets complete with her hat, umbrella, and a cooler filled with snacks and lunch for the entire team. My mom never played sports, but the way she beamed with pride when I succeeded, you would think that it was she who just competed and won. My accomplishments were as much hers as they were mine. I never had to worry about living out Proverbs 27:2, “Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth…” My mother did all of that for me. Remembering the joy my mom experienced and the compliments she received (yes for being my mother), fills my heart with such warmth even to this day. Acknowledging God’s glory has that exact same effect on me. 

We are all too familiar with glory as athletes. We crave it, we play for it, and in some cases, we live for it. Synonymous uses of the word glory, outlined by Blueletterbible.com, are honor, spender, reputation, reverence, a good opinion of one, and resulting in praise. We want all of that, but it’s God who embodies that glory in and of Himself. He deserves it. He also receives glory through His creation, and in turn, He is the never-ending source of that honor for His children. 

The Bible illustrates the many special places we occupy in the heart of God. In Zephaniah 3:17 we read, “He will take delight in you with gladness…He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zechariah 2:8 says, “Anyone who harms you harms my (God's) most precious possession.” Today, we revel in the ultimate gift, “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). The God of Heaven takes as much joy and pride in our existance and accomplishments as earthly parents do in their children. We are His delight. “In Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28). When we display our best in obedience to Him, we give God glory. We get to satisfy our human need for praise and validation through our Creator, who owns it all. Then, we thank God by giving the glory back to Him because He deserves it. We experience God’s glory, live in it, and display it. That truly is something to be grateful for.

GO

• What are all the ways you experience God’s glory?
• How do you personally give God glory?
• What are the things that you do that inspire others to praise, honor, and respect God (e.g. In what way do you bring God glory)?

WORKOUT

1 Chronicles 16:29; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:27

OVERTIME

“Father, thank You that I hold such a special place in Your heart. I celebrate that truth this week while I praise You for all that you’ve created. Thank You for Your glory that surrounds me, and thank You for the hope of receiving Your glory through Your Son Jesus Christ. With love and gratitude in Jesus’ Name.”

Shanta Crichlow
Shanta currently serves FCA as the Campus Director at her alma mater Georgia Institute of Technology. Shanta joined FCA staff in August 2012 as an Area Representative for Atlanta public schools. Since then, her focus has been to create a loving family environment on campus where students can experience God, meet Jesus Christ, learn, and grow together in their Christian walk.