The Special of The Day...From the Orange Moon Cafe

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Orange Moon Wednesday, August 26, 2026 "Not Unto Us"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

(Thanks to Fred C. for inspiration on this one)

“Not Unto Us”

No greater sigh of relief can be exhaled than the realization that we do not live to further our own reputation, but rather that of Another.

“Not unto us, o Lord, not us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and Thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1).

Certainly, it matters what people think of us in terms of how well we represent the Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, we want to live in an honorable manner that generally leads to a reputable name and stature with others. “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1). It nevertheless remains true that we live for the honor of God and how others think of Him, as revealed in our character, demeanor, attitudes, words and deeds. “Not unto us…”

The Psalmist declares that we do so “for Thy mercy and Thy truth’s sake.” The former - “for Thy mercy” - speaks to God’s loving inclination to forgive sin in order to establish and maintain relationship with Himself through the Lord Jesus. How He is glorified thereby as we bear witness that “He delighteth in mercy,” even as the prodigal son’s father ran to greet his returning and repentant son with reception and restoration (Micah 7:18; Luke 15:20). The latter - “for Thy truth’s sake” - speaks to God’s working in the forgiven to lead and enable us to live in the reality of seeking His glory and honor. Any notion otherwise whereby we live to further our own name or fame is mere illusion and diversion from the truth of who God is, and who we are in relationship to Him. Thus, we seek to live in a matter that reveals His glory to those who need His mercy, and to those who have received it and seek to live in the reality of His truth.

Let us breathe the sweet sigh of relief. We live for the glory, honor, and reputation of Another. This may lead to “a good name” in this present world, although that is never the goal of the Christian. We rather seek the glory of one Name only, and let how we are viewed proceed according to God’s determinations and purposes. Indeed, some of the finest and most faithful believers who ever lived lived evoked worldly shame because they were led to tread a path their sphere of influence could never comprehend. "Not unto us" indeed, but rather…

“Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”

(Ephesians 3:21)

Weekly Memory Verse

To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Romans 8:6)

7881

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Orange Moon Tuesday, August 25, 2026 “Somebody, Somewhere”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

“Somebody, Somewhere”

Innumerable ways exist whereby born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ please our Heavenly Father’s heart as the Holy Spirit works within us to reveal our Savior’s character and nature.

“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more” (I Thessalonians 4:1).

One fruit of Christ’s character in His children must be particularly pleasing to our Father’s heart. Job exhibited this as an Old Testament, even before the advent of the Lord Jesus and the giving of the indwelling Holy Spirit:

“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10).

From pain, sorrow, loss, bewilderment, and heartbreak, Job ultimately sought grace not for himself, but for others. This foreshadowed the most sublime prayer ever offered in human history, uttered on the cross of Calvary in far great suffering than Job ever knew:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

The Spirit of the Christ who uttered such a request for others, voiced in agony from His own sorrows and pains, now lives in born again believers. Moreover, He does so prayerfully…

“And God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father” (Galatians 4:6).

Our Lord’s “Abba Father” moving within to lead and enable prayer includes seeing our challenges as opportunity to intercede for others. “Look not every man on his own things, but on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). This can only occur as Christ lives in us, and we live by Him. Our natural human tendency tempts us to focus inward on ourselves when we hurt, rather than seeing our challenge as opportunity to seek God’s grace for others. Realizing the altar for others that exists in our pains, problems, and difficulties leads us to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” who then leads us to look outward to the needs of others (Hebrews 12:2). We still pray regarding our own needs. However, as we “let your requests be made known unto God,” we do so for others as well as ourselves (Philippians 4:6).

How this must please our Father’s heart as He sees His beloved Son formed in us. Only through Christ can such altruistic concern exist in human hearts. Salvation accomplishes far more in us than we realize as the Holy Spirit progressively works to turn us inside out, as it were. To pray for other when we ourselves hurt? This is not human. Or rather, it is human when humanity serves as the scene of the divine presence and character that seeks not its own, but “the things of others” (I Corinthians 13:5, Philippians 2:4). How this must please the heart of God, and how He must move in grace to answer our pleas offered through the loving manifestation of Christ’s “Abba Father” in us.

Perhaps in eternity, we will encounter some fellow saint along a street of gold so pure as to be transparent. Our brother may stop us and ask, “Do you recall that prayer you prayed for others in August of 2026? You were hurting and sought God’s grace and help, as commanded (Hebrews 14:6). You didn’t stop there, however. You also sought our Father’s grace and help for somebody, somewhere facing challenges like your own, or perhaps of a different mode and measure altogether.” Our brother will pause for a moment, and then smile as he says, “I was one of those ‘somebodies, somewhere.’ The Lord answered your prayer for me, even through you didn’t even know I existed. He delivered me from my trial, and gave me much opportunity to bear witness and give Him all the glory.”

Doubtless, we will fall to our knees with our brother on that street of glimmering gold, praising the God so able to motivate and empower prayers that reveal His Son in human hearts, in prayers prayed from our pains. How this will please Him then, and how it pleases Him now when we see our our challenges as opportunity to seek His grace for others.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.”

(II Corinthians 4:10-12)