So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
Seed Basket Devotional will explore how believers can glorify God in their daily lives over the next twelve weeks.
Just for today, our normally one-minute devotion will be extended in order to introduce you to the upcoming theme.
Today, we begin with a passage from Ephesians that highlights why every believer should live to glorify God.
Then, Seed Basket’s Monday devotional will explore how to glorify God.
Can I encourage you to read the passage aloud during your personal devotional time or with a friend?
Pray that God will help you desire to glorify Him more every day.
Why should believers desire to glorify God?
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s deconstruct Ephesians 1:1-14 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Our first and greatest reason to glorify God is simply because of Who He is. And because of Jesus.
Why?
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Jesus came from Heaven to bring us every spiritual blessing we could ever need.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,
Jesus chose us long before the Christmas story was known by mankind.
that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Because Jesus covered us with Himself, we are holy and blameless before God.
In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
Jesus is the bridge to a relationship with God. God chose to do that for us and has made us His sons and daughters.
according to the purpose of his will,
He wanted to. He loves us.
to the praise of his glorious grace,
God’s primary motivation is the glory He receives saveth us by saving you and me through His marvelous grace, given freely through His Son.
His bountiful goodness deserves all praise, so also it should be told out loud and forever by His children.
with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
God has blessed us with His love and grace on account of His love for Jesus, who loved and wanted us.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
The sinless Savior redeemed us in His suffering by forgiving our sin.
according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us,
Jesus did that because of His rich grace which He has poured on us, freely.
This was in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will,
The mysteries of the past have now been revealed, with Gentiles coming to faith through the coming and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3–11).
according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.
Read the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-26. Jesus prayed for all future believers the night before He died. What is the recurring theme?
Then look at the remaining passage of Ephesians. How much more could our God do to capture our hearts?
- In him we have obtained an inheritance,
- having been predestined
- according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
- so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
- In him you also, when you heard the word of truth,
- the gospel of your salvation,
- and believed in him,
- were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
- who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it–
To the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:1-14 (ESV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 