CREATED FOR GOD’S GLORY

“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have CREATED FOR MY GLORY; I have formed him, yes, I have made him”– Isaiah 43:7

We must be committed to glorifying God because we were CREATED for HIS GLORY: “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory …” (Isa.42:8). We will never be truly successful, fulfilled or prosperous in any area of life including our relationships until we discover why God created us. Every right-thing person must have at one time or the other pondered on one or more of these questions: Why did God create me? What am I here for? What’s my purpose on earth? What is life all about? What is my chief end? What is worth pursuing in life? What must I invest life into? Things make a lot more sense when we know what the goal is. When we know what the end game or objective is, then everything else fits into place. We’ve established that God’s Glory is the Goal of life – the chief purpose of life is to glorify Him.

God’s Glory is His matchless excellence that makes Him supreme and towering over everything else. His Glory is His awesomeness, splendour and significance. He is the highest Object of worship and devotion: “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (1Chr.16:28-29). God’s Glory is the manifest beauty of His holiness; the going-public of His holiness. To “give” glory to God however, does not mean to literally add any measure of glory to Him! God is not lacking in glory. To give Him glory is to ascribe to Him what is already there! His Glory is unique and untouchable, not possessed on His behalf by any creature: “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa.42:8).

God – in Christ – created all things for His glory: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col.1:16). All things include YOU! You are not self-existent. You exist “for Him.” Your Creator has a purpose that includes you: “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1Cor.8:6). We exist for Him. It’s not so much about you or about me. It’s about Him and His purpose! Our ultimate purpose is to bring Him Glory: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Rev.4:11).

For the Christian in particular, you were saved to glorify God. Ephesians 1: 6,12 affirms that our predestination to adoption as sons is “to the praise of the glory of His grace…that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” Peter re-affirmed the same: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1Pet.2:9). God didn’t save you because He was lonely or lacking in heavenly company, but for His Glory! Trophies aren’t made to draw attention to themselves, but to the recipient. Every Christian is a trophy of God’s grace, designed to draw attention to Him!

I was created for His glory, saved for His glory, and sanctified for His glory! According to our meditation text, the Lord created, formed, redeemed, and called Jacob for Himself – for His Glory. That was the guarantee of passing through the waters without being drowned and walking through the fire without being burned (vv.1-3). And to cap it all: “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise” (v.21).