Daily Devotion: For The Glory Of God

Scripture:
John 14: 13-14

Main Verse:
John 14: 13
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Observation:
I was in college when my younger brother was abducted. He was just going to the bakery to buy some bread when some men in a white van blindfolded him and took him to some secluded place, where other children who were also kidnapped just like him were forced to beg alms on the street or sold off to foreigners. There were times when they cannot bring a lot of money from begging that they got beaten and were not given any food.

I remember my mom crying a lot. I remember her not being able to eat anything at all and telling us during mealtimes how she wondered if my brother had something to eat. I remember how our family prayed day and night asking God to answer our prayers and bring back our lost brother who we thought just ran away from home at that time.

But the Lord has been truly faithful to our family, and His faithfulness in my and my family's lives still ring true to this day. God allowed that ordeal to happen to us not because He was punishing us. Not because He was mad at us. He allowed it to happen because He was going to do something miraculous that would bring back all the glory to His name.

Two weeks after my brother was kidnapped, He and other children were able to escape the kidnappers' place. It was not the work of man who brought my brother back to our family's arms. I truly believe, up to this day, that God used that situation so that we, our family and relatives, our friends, workmates, classmates, and churchmates, would witness the glory of the Father, through our lives through the Mighty Name of His Son Jesus!

Application:
From the moment of our birth, God has ordained us to glorify Him. It is by His grace that we are here on earth. It was by the Lord's sovereign will that you were born here on earth. And when God allows afflictions to happen in our lives, He is revealing something about His glory. Just like how He revealed to Abraham that He is Jehovah Jireh and He will provide. Just like how He revealed to Martha and Mary and the rest of the 400 people that He is the Resurrection and the Life after bringing Lazarus back to life.

When God does something great in our lives, our first response should be to glorify His name. The ultimate purpose of our existence is to glorify the Father. So that we can give thanks in everything that He did, has done, and will do in our lives.

Prayer:
Father, you are indeed an amazing, awesome, and powerful God! Thank you for revealing your power and your glory in my and my family's life. Thank you for the countless times that you have let us experience your presence. May I be worthy of glorifying you and may I live all the days of my life being able to glorify your Holy Name. In Your Most Holy Son's name I pray, AMEN.