For His Glory

Ten years ago this month, I was rendered unable to speak. During a "simple" surgery I experienced some pretty significant complications. The end result was damaged vocal cords and a warning my voice may never return. Given everything I'd been through up until that point, I really didn't care: I was alive, and I was okay with that. Being an introvert, I enjoyed the silence. Having a passion for reading and studying Scripture, I was content to sit for hours and do so. It was a period of sweet serenity that seems to occur only once every few years or so. Realistically, however, silence was an impossibility in my world. When it was time for me to return to work --a job which required me to give instructions over a radio and answer phones --it became ridiculously evident I was going to need my voice. And by God's grace, it returned --not instantaneously, but over a period of a year or so, my voice grew louder. A voice, given to me on loan by a God who wants me to use it for His glory, until the day He says I no longer need it. It has taken me ten years to come to that realization.

Psalm 89:1-18 is a powerful meditation on the authority and worth of God. Verse 6 poses the questions, For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? In answer, the psalmist declares of some of His attributes and wonders (v. 8-14): 

O Lord God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them....
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
The north and the south, You have created them...
You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.

There is no one like our God! He has created all things for His glory. Time is for His glory. Currency and talents are for His glory. Our families, fields, and friends are for His glory. The walrus is for His glory. There is nothing created that truly belongs to us; it is all His and all for His glory. And, yes, even our voices --maybe especially our voices --were given to us for His glory. Praise and encouragement, correction and the sharing of the Gospel --we use our voices to bless others and bless our God. 

As I thought about this today, I realized what a great privilege it was to not only have my voice restored, but to have the blessing of speech reiterated by allowing me to hear the progression of that restoration. We typically grow up with our own voices. We don't recall our first sounds or words. By the time we are capable of understanding the marvel of language, we have been speaking for quite some time. Our own voices become much less a miracle to us and more of a "given." I had the privilege of having my voice restored when I was old enough to appreciate the miracle of speech and God's purpose for it. To hear me speak today, you may notice a certain hoarseness or breathlessness, but if circumstances are optimal (i.e. I've had plenty of sleep, my allergies are not affecting things, I've not overused my voice) you may not notice a thing. It was given to me as a child and restored to me as an adult for the purpose of glorifying my God! It doesn't belong to me. That's kind of a weighty thought, given about nine years have passed since my voice was restored.  So, what have I been doing with it all this time? Honestly, I can't say I've been using it the way I should. I've said unkind things; I've been critical. I can't say I've been using it to its full potential. There have been times I should have spoken up, should have called someone to pray with them. I have failed, despite this privilege of bearing witness to a miracle. What an offense to such a gracious God!

And yet, miracles happen every day. The miracle of sight, of hearing, of each next breath, of a God who loves His enemies so much He would die in their place. These, too, are created to bring glory to God. They are not ours to keep buried in our hearts; we are not to sit around being quietly grateful the rest of our lives, though gratitude is a wonderful start. Miracles are demonstrations, object lessons given to us by God to share with as many people we can reach. I once was blind, but now I see. So, what is your miracle? and what have you done with it?

Photo courtesy LuAnn Martin