“Only God Gets the Glory”

by

“Only God Gets the Glory” by Reva Moore

(Note: This is the stained glass picture inside the Batiano SDA Church.)

It’s normal for anyone who does good deeds to get the accolades, the praise, and the glory. We see this all the time. In fact, what drives most people to do great deeds are reasons such as: to have the ‘feel good’ sensation, to have their names engraved on plaques for others to see, or to be in the lime light.
It’s very seldom that you’d see someone anonymously donate big sums of money for a good cause. Yet, there are those who truly want to do good deeds without being known. These folks want only God to get the praise.
Jesus was very specific when He told His disciples how to give help to others:

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Matthew 6:2, 3
Batiano SDA Church in Odiongan 2 this

When I share stories about helping others, the stories are used for examples to inspire others to do the same. They’re not to get praise or attention.
When I built the costly Batiano SDA Church in the Philippines back in 2000, I built it for God, but He knew that I could easily boast of my accomplishment. But God did not allow, for I ran out of money—a lot of money. For two days I cried to God for help and promised that I would never take the glory for building the church. God heard my pleas and donations came. The brethren there suggested that I name the church: E. Wallace Memorial Adventist Church, but my sons and I didn’t like the idea, for my late husband was a very humble man. (Note: I had recurring dreams about the church for 8 months. The majority of churches in the Philippines are small and ran down and I wanted Jesus to have a beautiful Church there. So, after my husband, Edwin Wallace’s, death, I used his life insurance money to build the church. That was supposed to be my son’s college money but they both graduated anyway through God’s help.)
Batiano church inside

The Adopt a Minister International website:https://www.a-a-m.org

Psalms 115:1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
AMI IMG 0646

Many people probably wonder how I started helping the unemployed ministers in the Philippines. To those who don’t know me, they’re probably thinking that I started this project to get praise. Far from it. In fact, when the fate of the unemployed ministers was shown to me in a dream, I ignored it for several months. But thoughts of the ministers not having any way to provide for themselves and their families haunted me. Today I help the ministers, not for praise, but as a duty to help the needy, and for God to only get the praise.
I get tempted to start boasting about the number of adopted ministers helped. Even though I advertise the project, I stopped counting because I remembered the story of King David when he grieved God just from a simple act of counting. Besides, I lost our list of adopted ministers and sponsors during the great Louisiana Flood of 2016.

The story goes like this:
“God helped King David and his army win their battles left and right; they took the spoils of the enemies’ cities in great abundance. But Satan rose up against Israel and prompted David to take a census of his men. (I’m thinking that David gloated a bit after so many victories, probably saying to himself, “Look at what I’ve done,” even when he knew that God won the battles for him.)

“So, David told Joab, the leader of his army, to count the people. But Joab knew that what King David was asking wasn’t right. Joab asked, ‘Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?’ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so, Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem.

“Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. David’s command was evil in the sight of God; so, He punished Israel. A certain type of plague came to the Israelites.

“Fearful and remorseful, David said to God, ‘I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.’ The LORD said to Gad, David’s seer, ‘Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD – days of plague in the land. David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.’ So, the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.'”

God did not like for David to gloat over his victories, for it was God Who won the battles for him. And what a great price to pay for David’s simple mistake. I don’t think God would strike me, or anyone for gloating over an
accomplishment. But still, I believe that only God should get the praise. To God be the glory!