Who gets the glory?

Does God stay out of the headlines because He is not doing anything, or is it because we so easily take the credit for His work or give it to natural causes?

Personal case in point: my pulse is abnormal because of a condition called a-fib caused by the enlargement of both upper chambers of by heart. It beats in an irregular pattern, something like this:  . . .  ....  . .   . . .  ...  .  .. . and trying to count it is a challenge. With medication, it has slowed down, but the irregular pattern puts it anywhere between 55 and 130, depending on what part of that pattern is used in the count.

However, I’ve found three things that help. One is singing worship songs in church. The second is listening to classical music, and the third is a metronome. The regular beat of this computer app works the best.

When my hubby told his doctor (a dear friend of both of us) about the metronome, he gave a scientific explanation simplified to this: the brain has the ability to tell the heart to match a beat. Then he added: “We are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) giving the glory to our Creator.

The Old Testament prophets faced a similar challenge of who gets the glory as they confronted false prophets who led God’s people into erroneous understanding of God and of what it means to follow Him. These false prophets did not honor God as they should whereas the true prophets of God directed the people according to the will of God. Not only that, they humbly proclaimed that their power came from the Spirit of the Lord. 

Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:5–8)

I wonder what would happen if today’s people of God were so filled with the Holy Spirit that they were declaring the Word of the Lord to the nations. Billy Graham comes to mind. He had the voice and attitude of a true prophet who could tell the world our transgression and sin, and also declare the love of God and His plan of redemption for all people. What would the world be like if every Christian was that bold and as effective?

Tozer says that the early Christians were like that and, “None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” (Acts 5:13) He says that today “there is no longer anything terrible or mysterious about us . . .  we now have little that cannot be accounted for by psychology and statistics.”

Instead, we need what Tozer calls the dignity of the Holy Spirit, that awe-inspiring mystery which comes upon men and churches when they are full of the power of God. It is so sad that most of God’s people are satisfied with much less, perhaps because of a fear of what God might call us to do if we let Him be Lord of our lives.

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Lord Jesus, as a young Christian, I had no idea about the power of the Holy Spirit. I was content to do most things by myself, not realizing that Your power makes earth-shattering changes. Over the years, I suppose I had varying excuses, most of them related to ignorance. Now I think of what my Swedish grandmother used to say, “Too old too soon, too late smart.” I suppose that could now use age as an excuse, but don’t let me do that. If there is anything You desire of me, fill me with Your Spirit that I might do it in that awe-inspiring mystery of Your great power.