Glory to God
by: Kate Lalley
April 2, 2025
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What truly brings glory to God? For a long time, I believed it was the gifts He gives us or the miraculous stories we get to share. But in this recent season of my life, I've realized that what lifts God the highest is our decision to partner with Him—our choice to trust Him and walk in faith, no matter the circumstances.
Take the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead, for example. After four days in the grave, the miracle of Lazarus coming back to life was certainly a powerful display of God's glory. But God’s glory was also revealed in Martha’s choice. Before Jesus raised Lazarus, He told her, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40). It was Martha’s decision to believe and take that step of faith, even in the waiting, that allowed God’s glory to shine.
This teaches me that it is our choice to trust God during the waiting and actively partner with Him that truly brings Him glory. As we delight in Him and wait with faith, we open the door for God to do more than we could imagine.
Our fear and love for God in the waiting period is what moves His heart and keeps us obedient. That’s why Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” When we trust God fully, with joy and peace in both the highs and the lows, we bring Him glory.
Paul also writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). The act of petitioning is the time we spend waiting on God after we’ve prayed, trusting Him to answer in His perfect timing. How incredible is it when God’s children have peace in that waiting time? The peace that surpasses all understanding, as Paul describes in verse 7, is a testament to God's glory. This peace confounds the world, just as Jesus’ life did. He was misunderstood at every turn, yet He brought glory to His Father through every step of faith and His every decision to partner with God.
In this season of my life, it has been my delight in the Lord, even in the midst of struggles and refining, that has brought Him glory. James 1:2-3 reminds us, “Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of various kinds, because the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” The mountains moved, and the stories that came from this season testify to God’s nature. But what truly amazed those around me and brought glory to God was the peace I experienced in the valleys and on the mountaintops. The greatest testimony of God’s faithfulness is the joy and delight we choose to have in Him, no matter what.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When we seek His face in all things, His glory and presence shine through. In the waiting, as we partner with God in faith, we see His power at work in us. And perhaps the greatest gift is realizing that the maturing of our heart—before the answer to our prayers even comes—is the true blessing.
In the end, it is not just the answer to our prayers that brings joy, but the growth in our relationship with God that happens during the waiting. This is the miracle that truly brings Him glory.
Worship: Center
Prayer
Praise You, Lord that You are a God who cares deeply for my heart more than anything else. Praise You for the grace You pour over me and the love You convict with that leads me to a place of only wanting to rejoice in all things. Lord, my prayer is always that You would purify and mature my heart before any circumstance. I pray that the stories of faithfulness and waiting in faith for You in my life would bring You glory. I love You Lord and pray my delight and love would overflow and be what moves mountains. Amen.
Further Study
Romans 8:14-17, John 9:3-5
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An animal lover asked me the other day, “Why would God require the slaughter of sweet innocent animals just to wash away people’s sins in the Old Testament?” And then another person said to me, “I find the Cross problematic. Why would God sacrifice His Son Jesus for my sin? I would never do that to my child!”