Bach composed 256 cantatas. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring may be his most famous. Nearly four centuries later, it’s still one of the most popular soundtracks as the bride walks down the aisle to meet her groom. The reason his music touches your soul is because it came from his soul. But did you know his cantatas didn’t originate as music, and that they were prayers before they were songs?
Before he started scoring a sheet of music he would scrawl JJ – Jesu, Juya – at the very top. It means ‘Jesus, help me.’ Then at the bottom of every composition he inscribed three letters: SDG. They stand for Soli Deo Gloria – ‘to the glory of God alone’.
His life was a unique translation of that singular motive. So is yours. No one can glorify God like you, or for you, because your life is an original score. Soli Deo Gloria is living for an audience of one; it’s doing the right thing for the right reason. It’s living for the applause of the nail-scarred hands. It’s declaring that Jesus Christ is your all in all. Just Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
Paul bottom-lines it: ‘We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God’ (vv. 11-12 NIVUK 1984 Edition).
Judges 9-10, John 6:22-44
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