Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. – John 14:13
Johann Sebastian Bach was the Baroque composer of 1,128 finished pieces of music, including the familiar Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the Brandenburg Concertos, and “Sheep May Safely Graze.” He was born in 1685 and, when he died 65 years later, he left behind nearly 30 unfinished works. As he began his compositions, he would often initial the manuscripts JJ for the Latin Jesu juva, “Jesus, help.” At the conclusion, along with his initials, he would add SDG for Soli Deo Gloria, “Glory to God alone.”Whether he was writing a piece commissioned by Prince Leopold, something for the church, or a friend, he began asking Christ to help him.
Bach saw what he was writing as having a singularity of purpose: to bring God glory.
In John 14, Jesus was telling His disciples He would be leaving them soon, reassuring them of the coming Holy Spirit, and reminding them that He would remain “only a prayer away.” Jesus said that by providing answers to their prayers, the Father would be glorified, just as He had been through Christ’s life on Earth.
From the start, that had been Jesus’ singular purpose in His ministry, death, and resurrection. Jesus would later tell His disciples that the Holy Spirit would, in turn, glorify Christ, and thus also the Father.
Is it your purpose to glorify God? Do you begin your day seeking the Lord’s guidance? Do you live a life that honors Him, loving Him with all your heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself? Are you investing time in the development of your relationship with the Living God? Have you made it a practice to meditate on His love, justice, and mercies on the Earth (Jeremiah 9:24)?
Reaffirm your commitment to acknowledge Him in all your ways (Proverbs 3:6).
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