By the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

“To him be the glory forever!” This should be the foremost desire of every Christian, for every other desire must point to and be subservient to this. A believer may have a desire for prosperity in his business, but it should only go as far as to promote this: “To him be the glory forever!” He may desire to attain more talents and gifts, but it should only be in order that “To him be the glory forever!” You are not behaving properly if you are motivated by any motive other than bringing your Lord glory.

As a Christian, you are a child of God and through God, so live to God. Never allow anything to cause your heart to beat more strongly than it does from your love for Him. Let this ambition be the fire of your soul, the foundation of every endeavor you begin, and your sustaining motivation whenever your zeal for Him starts to cool. Make God the only object of your life and depend upon that, for focusing on yourself is the beginning of sorrow. Yet if God is your supreme delight and the only object of your life, you can say:

To me ’tis equal whether love ordain

My life or death — appoint me ease or pain.

Madame Jeanne-Marie Guyon, 1648 – 1717

Translated from French by
William Cowper, 1731 – 1800

Your desire for God’s glory should be a growing desire as well. If you blessed Him in your youth, never be content with the same level of praise you brought Him then. Has He prospered you in business? If so, then give Him more as He has given you more. Has God given you experiences to grow your faith? Then praise Him with stronger faith than you exercised at first. Has your knowledge of Him grown? Then sing to Him more sweetly. Do you enjoy better times than you once had? Have you been restored from sickness and has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then sing more songs to Him, putting more coals and sweet frankincense into the censer of your praise.

In every practical way, may your life give Him honor. May you put the “Amen” of this doxology today in its proper place by giving your great and gracious Lord the glory He is due through your own individual service to Him and through an increasingly holy walk with Him.

By the pen of Jim Reimann:

Is God’s glory truly the foremost desire of your heart? Take a moment and reflect on your deepest desires. If after being honest with yourself you discover this is lacking in your life, reflect on what we considered in yesterday’s devotion: that the Lord is the one who places godly desires within us in the first place. Then ask Him to give you the desire to bring Him greater glory. David said, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me” (Ps. 34:4).

Next, make a determination to follow through in your life and your walk. In the same psalm David shows his determination by saying, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together” (Ps. 34:1, 3).