Psalm 22:1-5
Lord God,
You do not forsake the hurting, the suffering or the afflicted.
You are enthroned as the Holy One.
You are the one we praise.
You are the one our ancestors put their trust in.
You are the one who delivered them.
When they cried out to you.
You saved them.
When they put their trust in you.
You did not disappoint.
As I think about this passage, how will others know I cried out to you and that you saved me? How will others know that I trusted you and you answered? How will people know the Lord is faithful unless I share it with them? How will my faith strengthen the faith of those who follow? The only way for you to receive long term glory for the work you have done in my life is by me telling of it to others. My story of your faithfulness needs to not only live in my life, but in the lives of others.
When I tell the story of your working in my life, this brings you glory. Also, when I tell the story of another person’s faithfulness and your working in their life it brings you glory. First, you received the glory from answering their prayer. Second, you get glory from them sharing how you answered their prayer when they share it with others. Third when the others tell others of your work in their lives, you receive glory. This is how to expand the glory of the Lord.
Here is an example of it in action. My wife has been having a difficult transition at her work. She switched departments over the summer and it did not go as smoothly as she had dreamed it would go. She was discouraged and when she found out her new assignments, it was not what she was told it would be. This was very disappointing and disheartening. However, she continued to pray and trust that her decision to switch was the right one.
She felt forsaken and forgotten. She understood the challenges of the transition, but didn’t know how difficult it would be. However, now the payoff is starting to happen. She is having colleague after colleague come up to her and tell her how excited they are that she is with them. She is seeing this as a direct answer to prayer. Yesterday, the husband of a colleague randomly told my wife that his wife, a colleague of hers, is excited that my wife is now part of her department. For this man’s wife, my wife is an answer to prayer for his wife and she is looking at how much energy and insight my wife will bring to the people she works with and influences.
God is working in and through my wife. God is displaying himself to her. By her sharing that story with me, she is expanding the glory of God and bringing honor to him. Now, by my sharing the story, I too am expanding his glory. I am calling this the multiplication of the magnificent glory of God.
So today, my prayer is that I would hear from someone today an answer to prayer. Then I would remember it and share it with another person. That I would magnify the magnificent glory of God. This way God is glorified in multiples, not just in the single answer to prayer.
Amen.