Conduits Of His Glory - Even If He Doesn’t

Scripture: Genesis 32:24-32

How many times have you prayed for something, or heard someone else pray for something, and they said something along the lines of “God, give us a victory so the world can see how good you are!” It’s a fairly common belief that God’s glory comes only in our victory and that an unanswered prayer can’t point to his faithfulness. But God’s glory isn’t in the outcome of our prayers; it’s in himself. His glory is his glory, and he’ll get it no matter what.

He doesn’t need our victory to prove himself—he has proven himself already. He’s good even when things are bad. He’s faithful even when he doesn’t answer our prayers. He loves us without condition or restriction.

The things that happen to us and around us and in us don’t change who God is.

God invites us to be conduits of his glory. When we suffer, when we rejoice, or when our lives are mundane and quiet, we reflect the glory of a good God to the world. His glory is revealed in you and through you and in spite of you, not in what happens to you.

The things that have hurt you are not—and never will be—the end of you.

You are changing, even now, and the things that grow will have good and beauty in them, even though they came at a great cost.

Like Jacob after wrestling with the Lord, you might walk with a limp from this point on, but that limp is a reminder of all you survived and all God has brought you through. Don’t hide your limp. Don’t belittle it either. The limp is proof that what meant to cripple you failed. You stood up again. You walked. You danced. You suffered. And you survived. We never asked for the things that hurt us, but we can allow ourselves to be changed by them. And in that opening of our hearts, we reflect the glory of God to the hurting world around us.

You are safe with Jesus.

Even if you can’t feel it, there’s a beautiful, sacred, holy work happening in you and around you right now, at this very moment. I hope you know how deeply God loves you and how tenderly he holds your heart. And that’s true whether you’re basking in the joy of answered prayer or grieving in the aftermath of things not turning out the way you hoped and prayed. The goodness and faithfulness of God are on full display when he does for us what we’ve asked from him, but even if he doesn’t, your faith will enable you to say, “He is still good.”