All Things Come From Him

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29: 11 – 13

What a wonderful prayer on this 7th day of November as we give thanks to God for all that we are, all that we have, and all that we ever will be.

All around us are individuals with the most incredible God-given gifts – such talents, abilities, and skills. Some use theirs unassumingly in their jobs or in their communities seeking no recognition or acclaim, while others want to make a difference in the lives of others and they achieve greatness. Some use their talents for their own enjoyment or for that of their family or friends, while others gain great wealth and fame. And many choose to serve God giving Him their best. However we choose to use our gifts, sadly, many never think to offer praise to God for all they are and all they have. They give themselves all the credit for their own hard work, ingenuity, or good fortune.

Since both Scott and Emily work in the music business in Nashville, we often have the chance while we are visiting to enjoy the “Music City” and see some of its notable performers. We had the rare opportunity this week of attending the CMA Music Awards with them. It was a really fun experience to hear and see the different performers and to see many of them so excited and humbled by the honor they received for their achievements this past year. They thanked their families, friends, producers, fans, and others who had helped them along the way. But it was even more heartwarming to see several entertainers humbly and graciously give God praise for their success.

As I watched, I thought about the wealth and fame they have achieved and wondered what their lives are truly like. I wondered if they have time for Him. What a privilege and example they can be for so many people with their lives as they glorify Him with their musical gifts and give Him the praise.

At the end of His reign with all His people assembled before Him, King David spoke this beautiful prayer from 2 Chronicles. What lessons He can teach us as He recognized that all he had accomplished was because of the grace of God and He humbled himself before this great crowd to give Him the glory.

May we always do the same. May we recognize that all that we are, all that we have, and all that we ever will be is because of Him. God deserves our love, honor, and praise. For His power, glory, majesty, and splendor are in each and every creation, including each of us. We each are unique and special in His eyes and through His grace, He gives us strength and life.

Prayer

Our heavenly Father, we thank you for the talents, abilities and skills you have given us. May we recognize that all we are has come from you. Amen