Day 7 ~ The Purpose Driven Life ~ Revisited ~ The Reason for Everything.
Glory to God ~ authored by Anthony Yeulett
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. ( John 15: 5, 7-8 NKJV)
I have always loved the lyrics of Shine, Jesus, Shine, arguably Graham Kendrick’s single most iconic song. They’re all good but if I had to pick out one verse above all it’d be:
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story
Shine on me shine on me
It’s a thoroughly scriptural song about God’s glory but in these lines Moses’ encounter with God and the report of it in 2 Corinthians 3 is clearly referenced, culminating, as it does in v18:
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)
In today’s reading, Rick reminds us that we cannot create any light of our own (and, as he has intimated previously, the attempt would be futile) but like mirrors when positioned towards the light, we cannot help but reflect the light of his glory. But indeed, Paul goes further and observes that in doing so we even become increasingly like Him in whose image we have been recreated. And he continues into Chapter 4 where he says that earthen vessels though we are, we contain and display his treasure within us and as we maintain this perspective and look to His purposes our ordinary temporal concerns begin to dissolve like a drop in eternity’s ocean:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV)
Whenever anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God, Rick says before adding that we can bring Him glory by:
- Worshipping Him – let it be in Spirit and in truth
- Loving others – in the family of God and beyond
- Becoming like Christ – by seeking Him, drawing near, listening to His voice through prayer, the Word and fellowship with His Spirit
- Serving others out of the giftings He has placed within us &
- Telling others about Jesus
Rick reminds us that to live this way is not always easy but that for all this we can rely on our Creator for strength and grace to be the people He created us to be: His children; new creations in Christ Jesus: made anew in His image and able to do all of these things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us (Php 4:13)
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure (Php 2:13)
What a privilege and a calling we have to live our lives to the glory of God.
The above was authored by Anthony Anthony Yeulett. Thankyou for your contribution Anthony.
Apart from reading this chapter on the 7th day from “The Purpose Driven Life” from Rick Warren (PDL – Rick ©) here is some more material below;
Day 7 ; http://purposedriven.com/day7/