To Whom the Glory Belongs

I am no one special just because I fall under the headings of “missionary wife” or “in full-time ministry.”

This morning, the pastor opened his sermon with the reminder that it is Jesus Christ, not man, who deserves all honor and glory and praise. With the reminder that man’s ultimate purpose here on earth is one and one only: To glorify God.

Too often in our years of traveling on pre-field ministry and even since our arrival in Chile, have we received words of praise and affirmation that we do not truly deserve. “Oh, I could never do what you are doing … I could never travel around to so many places … You are so special to be willing to move to another country, and with your young children besides.”

I am no one special – just someone specially saved and forgiven by God’s grace alone. And without His grace, I am “just one mistake away” from being every bit as lost as those with whom we long to share the message of His love here in Chile.

The words of this song touched my heart this evening:

I know you’ve cast my sins as far
As the East is from the West
And I stand before you now
As though I’ve never sinned but today
I feel like I’m just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can’t bear to see the man I’ve been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

Tears came to my eyes as I listened to the message of the music. We all have moments when our past mistakes overwhelm us and we wonder how God could ever love us at all … or as the songwriter puts its, we wonder if “as far as the East is from the West” is truly far enough. But what a beautiful picture reminder, that “far enough” is simply from one of Jesus’ nail-scarred hands to the other.

Some additional thoughts in a poem (my own):

To Whom the Glory Belongs

Sometimes the praise is misplaced
Heaped on the shoulders of man
Sometimes the burden is heavy
Expectations we can’t understand

To Whom the glory belongs
To God, and Him only
The First, Last, Eternal
To Whom the glory belongs
The Judge and the Healer
The Finder of the lost

Sometimes I find myself weeping
Recalling the darkness I knew
Sometimes I need the reminder
The only true freedom’s in You

To Whom the glory belongs
To God, and Him only
The First, Last, Eternal
To Whom the glory belongs
The Judge and the Healer
The Finder of the lost

Sometimes my heart melts in wonder
To think that You looked on me
Sometimes I cannot believe it
Your servant, I’m privileged to be

To Whom the glory belongs
To God, and Him only
The First, Last, Eternal
To Whom the glory belongs
The Judge and the Healer
The Finder of the lost

-shg 10.07.07