Attraction

Meditation
Revelation 4:11--Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.
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The book of Revelation does not resound with the triumph of man and all his accomplishments. There are no galactic choirs that fill space with ethereal tributes to human moon-landings, breakthroughs in animal cloning or high-speed laser technology.  Why?  Revelation is not about man it is about God, more specifically, the triumph of His Son Jesus over Satan and sin.  Revelation is all about a grandiose paying of dues to the awe-inspiring Lamb of God.

A great danger we face as people who serve God is the tendency to lose sight of who gets the glory.  We say the Lord is worthy but we live to receive recognition.  How easy it is to become seduced by the lure of personal fame. There is an explanation for why so many prominent Christians fall into immorality.  Whenever we begin to believe that our achievements are the stuff God needs so He can be glorified—look out.  Holiness is not enhanced by “holiless.”

King Saul decided to offer up sacrifices without waiting for Samuel, the prophet and rightful priest to arrive.  He was more concerned about what his men thought of him than obeying God’s clear commands.  Samuel said to him, “Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man loyal to Him, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded”  (1 Samuel 13:13,14).  

A preoccupation with personal attractiveness results in a mirror-based theology. Whenever a Christian says “I deserve to do this, look at all I’ve done for God,” it is not because his or her eyes are on Christ. 
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God’s radiance does not fade!  God’s glory does not flicker.  His brilliance is not wired to our energized “look-at-me” batteries.  What makes us attractive is the Light that shines in us not the gleam of well-scrubbed teeth.  If you’ve ever been in the presence of someone in love with God you know this to be true.  There is a quality of humility that warms the entire room with the genuine workings of the Holy Spirit!  Jesus was not implying by His statement “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” that we are the source of attraction.  Rather He was affirming the truth that there is a divine Oil inside us burning and our glass needs to be clean enough for all to see this Holy Fire at work!  
 
Inspiration
If we attract others by personal impressiveness, the attracted will get no further than us.  Our Lord said, “And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).  Oswald Chambers in Not Knowing Where
 
©1998 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)