Give God the Glory
Good day to each of you reading this column on giving glory to God who is all in all. I hope this day finds each of you well and enriched in all that God gives you. Let us count our blessings both great and small.
Before I begin the column, I read an interesting article from Thy Kingdom Come, June 2025 issue on the ark of the Covenant. The author, Dean Maxwell, begins with Where is the Ark of the Covenant? Now, I’m sure most of you have watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, so the question is, where is the ark and is it here or in Heaven?
This is a great read for anyone that has thought about the location of the Ark—By the way, where do you think the Ark is and if it is in Heaven, will it return back to earth? A point to ponder??
Let’s begin with some humor and a big thanks to: https://godslittleacre.net/funnies/
Noah in the 21st Century
And we thought we had problems! If Noah had lived in the United States in the last ten years, the story may have gone something like this:
Author Unknown
And the Lord spoke to Noah and said, “In one year, I am going to make it rain and cover the whole earth with water until all flesh is destroyed. But I want you to save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on earth. Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark.” In fear and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the ark. “Remember,” said the Lord, “you must complete the Ark and bring everything aboard in one year.”
Exactly one year later, fierce storm clouds covered the earth and all the seas of the earth went into a tumult. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in his front yard weeping. “Noah!” He shouted. “Where is the Ark?” “Lord, please forgive me,” cried Noah. “I did my best, but there were big problems.”
“First, I had to get a permit for construction, and your plans did not meet the building codes. I had to hire an engineering firm and redraw the plans. Then I got into a fight with OSHA over whether or not the Ark needed a sprinkler system and approved floatation devices. Then, my neighbor objected, claiming I was violating zoning ordinances by building the Ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning commission.”
“Then, I had problems getting enough wood for the Ark because there was a ban on cutting trees to protect the Spotted Owl. I finally convinced the U.S. Forest Service that I really needed the wood to save the owls. However, the Fish and Wildlife Service won’t let me take the 2 owls. The carpenters formed a union and went on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone would pick up a saw or hammer. Now, I have 16 carpenters on the Ark, but still no owls.”
“When I started rounding up the other animals, an animal rights group sued me. They objected to me taking only two of each kind aboard. This suit is pending. Meanwhile, the EPA notified me that I could not complete the Ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn’t take very kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of the Creator of the Universe. Then, the Army Corps of Engineers demanded a map of the proposed flood plain. I sent them a globe.”
“Right now, I am trying to resolve a complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that I am practicing discrimination by not taking atheists aboard. The IRS has seized my assets, claiming that I’m building the Ark in preparation to flee the country to avoid paying taxes. I just got a notice from the state that I owe them some kind of user tax and failed to register the Ark as a ‘recreational water craft.’ And finally, the ACLU got the courts to issue an injunction against further construction of the Ark, saying that since God is flooding the earth, it’s a religious event and therefore unconstitutional. I really don’t think I can finish the Ark for another five or six years.”
Noah waited.
The sky began to clear, the sun began to shine, and the seas began to calm. A rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up hopefully, “You mean you’re not going to destroy the earth, Lord?”
“No,” God said sadly. “I don’t have to. The government already has.”
Bathroom Commode
The story is told of a lady who was rather old-fashioned, always quite delicate and elegant, especially in her language. She and her husband were planning a week’s vacation in Florida, so she wrote to a particular campground asking for a reservation.
Author Unknown
She wanted to make sure the campground was fully equipped, but didn’t quite know how to ask about the toilet facilities. She just couldn’t bring herself to write the word “toilet” in her letter. After much deliberation, she finally came up with the old-fashioned term BATHROOM COMMODE. But when she wrote that down, she still thought she was being too forward. So she started all over again and rewrote the entire letter referring to the bathroom commode merely as the BC. “Does the campground have its own BC?” is what she actually wrote.
Well, the campground owner wasn’t old-fashioned at all, and when he got the letter, he just couldn’t figure out what the woman was talking about. That BC business really stumped him.
After worrying about it for a while, he showed the letter to several campers, but they couldn’t imagine what the lady meant either. So, the campground owner, finally coming to the conclusion that the lady must be asking about the local Baptist Church, sat down and wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam: I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take pleasure in informing you that a BC is located nine miles north of the campground and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is quite a distance away, if you are in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches along and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late. It is such a beautiful facility and the acoustics are marvelous. Even the normal delivery sounds can be heard.
The last time my wife and I went was six years ago, and it was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest you to know that right now a supper is planned to raise money to buy more seats. They are going to hold it in the basement of the BC.
I would like to say it pains me very much not to be able to go more regularly, but it surely is no lack of desire on my part. As we grow old, it seems to be more of an effort, particularly in cold weather.
If you do decide to come down to our campground, perhaps I could go with you the first time you go, sit with you, and introduce you to all the other folks.
Remember, this is a friendly community.
Sincerely, Campground Owner
The Bridge
A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer. All of a sudden, he said out loud, “Lord, grant me one wish.” Suddenly the sky clouded above his head, and in a booming voice the Lord said, “Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.” The man said, “Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want to.”
The Lord said, “Your request is very materialistic. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honor and glorify me.”
The man thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, “Lord, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give me the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say ‘nothing,’ and how I can make a woman truly happy.”
After a few minutes God said, “You want two or four lanes on that bridge?”
Did you enjoy the following above? I always say that laughter is the best medicine and to find to clean jokes that makes one laugh is a treasure.
I appreciate each of you reading this column as I am going through the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter and book by book. Presently, I am finishing up 1 Chronicles and I asked God for inspiration on the title and verses to associate with the title.
God heard my prayers and led me to 1 Chronicles 29:10-18 (NIV)
David’s Prayer
David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, 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, 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.
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
We are all familiar with the Lord’s prayer and the disciple’s prayer, but have you really read about David’s prayer. Here is a man who truly was after God’s own heart and the verses above are proof in this prayer.
As you read this prayer, here is the leader, chosen by God to lead the Israelite people, to bring peace to their land, to destroy all idols, bring the ark of the covenant back to Israel, and to glorify God by having his son, Solomon builds the temple of the Lord.
Take a few moments to read verses 10-13 for his prayer illustrates how to give glory to God. He begins with praise not for but to God directly and not to any God but the God and father of Israel. The same God who was in the beginning and is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
David gives glory directly to the Lord for his greatness and power and this same glory is magnified for everything in heaven and earth is his.
Turn to Psalm 19:1 (NIV) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
This is the splendor of God for the skies proclaim the work of his hands and we can look to the heavens to thank God that He is the author of all things and they are perfect
David, in his prayer, let’s the Israelite people that this is God’s kingdom and God’s land and that God and God only is to be exalted as head over all, not some but all.
David then tells the people that wealth and honor comes from God and God only and how? God is the ruler of all things including strength and power and to be elevated or raised high for God gives strength to all.
And David closes humbly by giving thanks and praise to his glorious name.
David acknowledges to all the Israelite people that it is God who generously blesses each of them for everything came from God and that the people only give what comes from God’s hand for everything is his.
In return for all the abundance of blessing on the Israelite people and under David’s leadership, the Israelite people are providing for building God a temple for your Holy Name.
This holy temple begins and starts from the hands of God for David acknowledges that all of it belongs to God. David never took any credit only Glory to God.
As we begin to close, was God testing both David and the people and was God searching for integrity from the Israelites? God knows the heart of all along with our intentions, our integrity, and our willingness to his completely. David said God was pleased with the people’s integrity and attitude in verses 6-9 as they gave their money willingly to God’s work.
David closes in verse 18: 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.
In closing, please remember the following: “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
I believe God is saying to glorify him in our daily life and to give thanks for all that he has done for us. Do you give thanks when having a meal? Do you glorify God daily? David has given us a prayer and God has given us the model. Will you put it to practice?
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
