Right now, I am sitting in an absolutely beautiful coffee farm called Eco Finca La Bendicion in the mountains of western Honduras. From where I sit, I can see grand mountains, several kinds of pine trees, banana trees, and many other beautiful trees. Some of these trees are covered in flowers that are vibrant yellow, red, orange and purple. Of course, there are coffee plants as well, along with a pond with fish and ducks. There is a wonderful little horse, several dogs, squirrels, birds of all kinds, and I am sure much more wildlife than I can see. We are also surrounded by a wonderful and kind group of people of all ages.
I have seen many amazing sights in my life but right now I can give God glory for where I currently am. One of the core values that God placed in my life many years ago was to give God glory for who He is. I was sitting in my Old Testament class at Howard Payne and our professor, Dr. Rainey, was sharing with us the importance of seeing, recognizing, and giving God glory. The way this is done is reflecting His glory. I really have nothing in and of myself to give, but I can be a reflection of who He is. I can see His reflection in His creation and acknowledge His glory by lifting words of praise and thanksgiving to Him
In recognizing God’s infinite glory and grandeur, my vision and understanding of God continues to grow, and with this, my understanding of my inadequacy and desperate need for Him grows as well. Since God is far greater than I could grasp or imagine, I decided to spend time every day thinking of how amazing God is by thinking of the incredible things that He has done and imagining great things He can do. I end this time by realizing He is far above what I can think or imagine, He is unlimited in every way and only limited by Himself. My little pee brain can’t even begin to scratch the surface of understanding all that He is. There is enough around me to wow me and for me to contemplate for the rest of my life.
As I see the beauty around me, I recognize that it is only a reflection of His beauty. When I look at breathtaking views, how much more will my breath be taken away when I truly see Him. When I see the mighty waterfalls or the force of mighty storms, winds, rain, etc. this mighty force is only a reflection of His might. I realize that it is looking in a mirror dimly. The glimpse we get is only a peek, but in that glimpse, we are overwhelmed. Moses was told he could not look on God in His glory or he would die, so he only saw the trail of His glory, and that caused him to glow so much the people were terrified and required him to cover himself. Simply a glimpse of His glory will alter us.
When I saw each of my children born, I recognized the miracle of God’s amazing creation in them. The idea that He included us in such a wonderful thing and entrusted us with loving, caring for, and raising them. What an amazing privilege! Every person has been fearfully and wonderfully made, each one has been created to bring God glory. He has included us in His redemptive ministry. We join with Christ in the ministry of reconciliation.
I have the wonderful privilege of leading devotional and teaching Bible class at Abundant Life Christian school in Gracias, Lempira, Honduras. Every time I see them, I recognize that each one is an amazing creation of God. Each one God loves so much that He gave His only Son to redeem them. I remind them every time that we meet, that they were made by God for His glory. They should seek what God has for them to do and go and do that. Scripture tells us that they will see our good works and glorify the Father which is in heaven. I look for God’s glory in each of them as well.
Another core value that I have learned is that if I want to know something is of God, I simply need to follow the glory trail. Is God receiving the glory or is man? It is something I want to strive for in my life but also helps me to understand if something is of God – if it brings glory to God. Whatsoever we do, we should do for the glory of God. Does what we are doing or what we are part of reflect God’s glory? Does the glory trail lead to God or to man?
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Awesome insight for giving God glory each day! God bless you in the ministry He has placed you in and your family also!
Amen my brother!
Bro. Jeff, you blessed my heart with the glory trail thoughts. You have blessed my life with encouragement and love in the tough times we went through. I see the glory of God reflected in your life, as well as Michelle’s, Matthew’s, Samuel’s, and Caroline’s. God is blessing so many through your life and your giving God the glory for all things. I love you brother! And miss you all!
Thank you for reminding me that what we do is a privilege that God gives us and that whatever we do should be for God’s glory not for our own or anyone else. You always have the words that God gives you to teach others around you. May God continue his blessings on you and your family wherever He takes you.
Love the title “Follow the glory trail.” What a motto for an abundant life!
Thanks God for the insight you’ve given Jeff. May we all walk down the glory trail. I like walking down a good trail.
This is the first time I’ve settled down to read any of your material except just the email. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I read and reminds me to pray for you and your family more. May God continue to bless you all.