If you are a child of God, your life should glorify God. The Word declares your life is not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:20). You have been purchased with the divine blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and you owe Him your life.

Through the power in that blood comes forgiveness of sins, eternal life and healing for soul, mind and body. You can receive the miracle of supply for all of your needs and have victory over Satan and his kingdom.

The Word of God is your standard for life, and it declares you are to glorify God in all you do. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). That’s what God expects.

You can glorify God in song, in prayer and in praise and worship. You can glorify Him by testifying of His good works in your life and by using the talents He has bestowed upon you to build His Kingdom. But the greatest way to glorify God is by living a holy, righteous life that is free of all sin.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1). God has done so much for you that He considers that to be just your reasonable service. When your love is truly set upon the Lord, you will be ready to work for Him and glorify Him daily in all things.

Noah and Abraham Glorified God

God made Adam and Eve in His image, and they were to give Him glory every day they lived; but when they sinned, it deformed and contaminated the image of God in them. Then the glory of God departed from them and from the human race to come. Because of that, only a very few people throughout the Old Testament were able to give God the glory He desired.

Noah and his family lived in a wicked civilization, yet they found grace in God’s eyes. For 120 years, they glorified God daily and gave themselves to His plan of building an ark. Then when the great flood came, they saved their lives and those of the animals.

Abraham was another one who glorified God; and the Lord told him that in his old age, he would have a son through his wife, Sarah. He had to wait 25 years for that promise to be fulfilled, but Abraham was strong in faith and glorified God as he waited. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4:20).

Is your faith strong enough that you could glorify God for 25 years before a promise is fulfilled in your life? Many people find it hard to wait upon the Lord for a few weeks let alone 25 years. And to give Him glory along the way is an even greater problem.

God doesn’t receive the greatest glory from His children when a promise is fulfilled but as they wait upon Him and glorify Him in faith believing. The Bible says, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Moses Failed to Glorify God One Time

Moses was the most meek and humble man of his day, and he continually gave God glory as the Lord used him in great and mighty ways. But there was a time when Moses did not give God the glory he should have given Him, and it cost Moses so much.

The Israelites were continually pressing Moses about so many things, and the Word tells us in Numbers 20 that they put Moses under such duress that he failed to give God glory when God used him to bring water out of a rock so the people could drink. That one instance cost Moses his opportunity to go into the Promised Land. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them (Numbers 20:12).

This story reveals how careful you must be to give God glory for every work He performs through you. You must glorify Him for every miracle and healing you receive, for every blessing He gives you and for every talent He bestows upon you to be used for His honor. God had used Moses in miraculous, mighty ways; yet because he failed to give God glory just one time, he could not enter into the Promised Land.

Joseph and Job Suffered Greatly

Joseph suffered many years of hardship, yet he still gave God glory. When he was a youth, his jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. Many years passed by, but God eventually raised up Joseph from a slave in prison to being second in command under Pharoah in Egypt.

When Joseph was finally reunited with his brothers, he did not accuse them, cast them down or make them feel bad for ruining so much of his life. Instead, he forgave them and told them, God did send me before you to preserve life...to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:5,7). God had placed him in that position to save them from the famine.

Job suffered like no other man had suffered before Jesus came and died for us. Job lost his possessions, his servants, his livestock and every one of his children. He was afflicted in his body and betrayed by his friends, yet he still gave God glory.

How do you handle adversity and troubles? Do you give God glory when things go wrong, or do you grumble and complain? Do you doubt what God can do and give in to fear? Do you question Him or say things you ought not to? Are you like Job; or are you like Job’s wife who said, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die (Job 2:9)?

In the end, Job was victorious because even at his lowest point, he gave God glory. Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). That enabled God to raise him up.

Praise God in the Valley

It’s easy to praise and glorify God when you are on the mountaintop, and all is well. It’s easy to praise Him when the blessings are flowing, when you possess the desires of your heart and when you’re prospering in all of your ways. The true test comes when you are in a valley. God receives the greatest glory when you glorify Him in times of persecution and trouble, in times when the battle rages and it appears your blessings have dried up. God receives the greatest glory when you patiently wait upon Him in your darkest hours and with a heart full of divine love and faith.

When Jesus was about to enter His darkest valley to fulfill the plan of redemption for the human race, He said, Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:27,28). God must receive glory from your life in the good times and in the bad times. You must glorify Him on the mountaintops and in the valleys, in life and even in death, if necessary.

Jonah Failed God

Jonah refused to obey the Lord and preach the Word of God to the city of Nineveh. Instead, he ran from the will of God and set sail in a ship heading far away from that city, but the Lord sent a great storm; and Jonah was cast into the sea.

The Lord then sent a whale to swallow him. After being in the whale’s belly for three days and nights, Jonah humbled himself; and the whale spit him up on the shore.

Jonah then went to preach in Nineveh. God was going to destroy the people for their wicked ways; but when the people of Nineveh heard the preaching of God’s Word and the warning of His judgment to come, they humbled themselves before the Lord. The King sent out a proclamation that neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands (Jonah 3:7,8).

God saw the people’s fastings and humility, and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not (Jonah 3:10). You too can glorify God in fasting as you afflict your soul and humble yourself before Him. Then He can lift you up and use your life to give Him even more glory.

In spite of all of that, Jonah failed again. He was not happy that God had spared the people because he believed they should have died; so instead of giving God glory for what He had done, Jonah grumbled and complained.

The Unrighteous Can’t Glorify God

Throughout the Old Testament, people and nations failed to glorify God because of sin. He then had to send Jesus into the world so people could once again be made into the image of God and live holy and righteous lives, lives that are free of sin and glorify God daily.

God receives no glory from sinful hands lifted up to Him or from a defiled tongue praising Him. In Jesus’ day, devils would cry out of those who were devil possessed and give Jesus praise and glory. And unclean spirits, when they saw him [Jesus], fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known (Mark 3:11,12). Jesus desired no praise from such ungodliness.

There are people in the world today who live sinful lives, yet they go to church and lift up their hands and voices in praise to the Lord; but God gets no glory from that. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).

God gets glory when holy hands and voices are lifted up to Him. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting (I Timothy 2:8). The only time God will hear the cry of a sinner is when it comes from a heart of godly sorrow and humility.

God Doesn’t Answer Disobedience

Many people do not understand why God does not answer their prayers; but often, it’s because there’s a very loud sound of disobedience in their life. King Saul is a good example of that. At one time, the Lord gave Saul specific instructions to make war with the Amalekites. He and the Israelites were to destroy all the people and the livestock and spare nothing.

Unfortunately, King Saul did not follow those instructions. After the victory, he returned from the battle with the best of the Amalekites’ livestock and their king as a prisoner; but he declared to the prophet Samuel that he had done the whole will of God. Samuel knew that wasn’t so; and he asked, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear (I Samuel 15:14)? It was the noise of Saul’s disobedience.

When many people pray, God only hears a noise of disobedience. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matthew 12:34). God picks up on what is in your heart right away.

Have a Holy Tongue

God receives no glory from a tongue that gossips. James said, Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be (James 3:10). He also said, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (James 1:26). God gets no glory from a person who does not wear the love bridle on their tongue.

God receives glory from a person who has a holy tongue, speaks the truth in love and blesses and edifies those around them. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). He receives glory from a life that sacrifices and serves others and is completely separated from the ungodliness of this world.

When King Saul returned from the battle with the livestock and the king, he thought he was doing God a great service. He was going to use the animals to make a great sacrifice unto the Lord, but Samuel rebuked him saying, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams (I Samuel 15:22).

God gets no glory from good intentions, selfish desires or opinions. He receives glory from a life of total obedience unto Him, His will and His Word. Jesus said, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). You can’t just claim to serve the Lord; you have to do it with your whole heart.

Keep Your First Love

Jesus rebuked the church at Ephesus after they had left their first love. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2:4). In Revelation 2:2,3, Jesus did acknowledge the people’s separation from evil, their works for Him, their labor and their patience; but God could receive no glory from their lives because they no longer had their first love for Him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37). God expects you to give everything to Him without reservation.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ’s first appearance on Earth. He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb, and Jesus declared him to be the greatest of all the prophets; but life wasn’t easy for John. He lived in the desert, wore clothing of camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey; yet he glorified God daily by preparing the way for Christ’s appearance in Israel. John declared, He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).

The Bride of Christ is to be like John—full of the Holy Ghost and glorifying God every day as she prepares the way for the Lord’s second appearance to Earth. She will decrease as the Jesus in her increases; and she will cry, “Come to Jesus!” And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). Her heart’s desire is to do God’s will.

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners (Song of Solomon 6:10)? She is the Bride of Christ. She has given herself completely to God to be sacrificed and used for His honor and glory.

Come to Jesus

Friend, if you have any sin, disobedience or contamination of the world in your life, God gets no glory from you. You must ask Jesus into your life because God only gets glory from a vessel made pure, clean and holy through the blood of His Son, Jesus. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).

It’s not enough just to say a prayer or make a resolution to do better. You must be born again through the power in the blood of Jesus. He died on the Cross so you could receive the miracle of salvation for your soul. If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us [through the blood] from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

Friend, pray this prayer with me and make your confession before God right now. Say, Oh, God, save my soul. Forgive me for all my sin and unrighteousness. I’m so sorry, Lord, for failing you, but I have come home; and I will serve you for the rest of my life. I believe there is power in the blood of Jesus to wash away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Amen. Friend, if you meant that prayer, Jesus is yours. He paid a great price so you could glorify Him every day all the way to Heaven.

Receive a Miracle

One great way to glorify the Lord is by receiving a miracle through the power of the blood. It makes you a testimony of what God’s power can do, and you can share that testimony with those the Lord brings across your path.

Look to the Lord right now as I pray with you. Lord, in the name of Jesus, I bring those who are sick in body to you. You know what they have need of. Lay a healing hand upon each one. Heal them in the holy, blood name of Jesus. Heal them and set them free. Break every bondage and lift every burden, and raise them up to be a witness for your honor and glory. We ask it all in the blood name of Jesus. Amen.

Friend, watch every sign of improvement and give God the praise, honor and glory. Then let us know what God has done for you by sending your testimony to testimonies@ernestangley.org. We will rejoice in the Lord with you.