Matthew 14:6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
At the end of that dance by Salome, the daughter of Herodias, the head of one of the greatest servant of God, was on a platter and presented to a faceless and shameless woman.
It is my birthday. Never will Salome dance before me, God forbids!
My birthday is a celebration of thankfulness to God for the preservation of life and all the provisions HE has made for this miserable sinner, where it not for His son, Jesus, my redeemer.
But it is more than that to this man, it is growth in faith to faith, glory to glory, strength to strength.
As we approach the end of the year [and in the threshold of another year] all of us would have had our birthday. An addendum to our years of sojourning on earth. It is important to point out here that our growth is never only in the numerical strength or dissipation or waning of it, but in other areas, too. The most important is the spiritual growth, which is of chief value for our present life and the determinant of the eternal one. It is our spiritual growth and the relationship we have with Christ that will determine where we would spend eternity.
Basically, there are three growths that we must desire throughout our existence here on earth, these growths are a must for the believer. We shall deliberate on them here.
The presence of God brings about this tripartite growth. We bask in the presence of God in prayers, meditation, study and seeking his face. Like a perfume, when you use it gives aroma. You cannot practice these things, and your spiritual life remains the same.
We must be desirous of growing our faith in God. Apostle Paul being confronted by the unsearchable powerful and infinite majesty of God said of his one goal ” That I may know him and his power of resurrection”. Knowing him more daily will cause our faith in Him to increase; we learn to trust him more, remain in peace despite. the turmoil that may be in the world. Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Nothing takes anything from the hands of God without faith. God has so created us to operate in faith. We are to live by faith or fear. 1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. This is self-explanatory to any bible student the children of Israel could not behold the face of Moses because of how it is shown. This was because he had been in the presence of God. God’s presence precedes his glory, you cannot come down from the mountain of the lord without the glory shinning upon you. 1 Samuel 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. Those who wants to grow from glory to glory must abide in his presence.
Psalms 84:7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
Our life does not taper out like a pyramid, rather like a mushroom that starts out tiny, but spreads out at the top.
King David gave this testimony: Psalms 37:25 I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. As we celebrate our birthdays, we endeavour to know God more intimately that we can say like David we know this God; we know how wonderful his love and how gracious is HE.
I therefore say to my soul. Happy birthday, but most important, I have experienced God this year than last year. That is a healthy, rounded growth.
Sapphire strokes 