A wise business man invests his resources in to a project in order to receive a return. Our Heavenly Father invests His grace in our lives to extend His kingdom through us. He overwhelms us with His love to transform us, to reflect His glory in the earth.
Romans 11:36 “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Everything I have is sourced from the Father’s loving hand. If I do not credit Him as my source, and take that credit to my own character, God will remove His grace from my life in order to teach me this lesson. Our righteous God will not give His glory to another, (Isaiah 42:8), and none can wrestle it from His hand. Many a man has taken the credit to himself, which belongs to God alone, for being the vessel that God has used in giftings to extend His kingdom. The man has fallen when God has removed His investment of grace from his life as God will not give His glory to another. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Jesus ended that well known prayer with the words, “…For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the GLORY, forever. Amen”, Matthew 6:13. In considering this scripture, we see that God’s power rests safely between the kingdom and the glory. It is only released and used for the extension of GOD’S KINGDOM to the GLORY OF GOD.
As we look back through Church history there have been many revivals. Only the Holy Ghost can start a revival, begun because God wants to invest in His kingdom. Revivals end when man gets in the way in various forms and God withdraws His grace. Revival ebbs.
We can all learn from past and present failures and get back on track with the Lord. A spirit of humility will lead me to repentance. As I embrace the truth of my failure, I find forgiveness through Jesus and I begin to experience the joy of restoration from my Father’s loving discipline. All failure is fuel for revelation: Pride comes before a fall – God will not give His glory to another. May I not take for granted, nor consider it a light thing, the grace God has invested in my life. He is the Source. It cost the life blood of His precious Son on a cruel Cross. Let me be a channel for God’s grace to flow freely to others, not a stagnant pool with no outlet. He invests His grace in me for His kingdom purposes, not my glory.
We have a responsibility every day to prepare and demonstrate to those around us, “Christ in me”, that there will be no generation slump. None of us know how long we will be here. Let us live “ready”. May we live our lives to the glory of God as we walk, talk and live worthy of Him.
