“Then at last the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will himself be Israel’s glorious crown. He will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people.” Isaiah 28:5
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
As a young believer, I was privileged to sit under the ministry of men and women who participated in powerful moves of God. One of the common themes of their preaching was the warning to never take the credit for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. They had seen great works of God destroyed because men sought the empty praise of men and honor for themselves. Isaiah 42:8 tells us, “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else.” Glory, in this sense, has to do with the splendor of God, His majesty, and uniqueness. He alone is the Highest. All good things come from Him and through Him. Therefore, all praise and honor belong to Him.
We need to be careful with how we handle the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is stirring in us. We should never use healing, miracles, or any demonstration of the power of God to draw attention to ourselves or our ministry unless the Holy Spirit directs us to do so for His purposes. Let’s follow the example of Jesus, who encouraged those who received healing and miracles from His ministry to tell others what God had done for them. Jesus always honored and gave glory to the Father.
There are other aspects of His glory that we can and should embrace. Jesus prayed just before He went to the cross and said, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:20) It is the glory of knowing that we are dearly loved sons and daughters who bring the Father great joy (Mark 1:11). We can have the same relationship Jesus had with His Father while on earth. Jesus said, “The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.” (John 3:35) In Christ, everything belongs to us. The Apostle Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 3:22-23, “Everything belongs to you, 23, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” We should not see ourselves as being limited by anything in the world, including life and death and time. Christ is over all of that, and we are in Christ. We need to own the truth that by being in Christ we gain not only salvation but also all that comes with sharing in Christ’s inheritance as the Son of God (Romans 8:12–17).
Our relationship with the Father gives us access to the heavenly information, knowledge, and wisdom needed to function successfully in life. All we need to do is believe, receive, and let the Holy Spirit help us walk it out day by day. Jesus said, “the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing.” (John 5:20) Instead of working for God, we are to work with Him. We become God’s fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9). As we learn to function in this way, He entrusts us with more of His power, and we are naturally transformed into His likeness more and more. Literally nothing that belongs to God is unavailable to us through Christ. King David told us, at the beginning of creation, “God crowned humanity with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:5) Even though man fell in Garden, God never rescinded His plan for humanity. The crown was always Jesus Christ. It is our inheritance we have in Him. If you allow it, He will crown your life with glory and honor. You will never have to seek the empty praise of men because He will satisfy every longing for glory and beauty.
Many Blessings, BW