Here is a good old song based on Psalm 115:1 – “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory!”
Quotes To Ponder
Wherever I go, I can spread splashes of glory or showers of sin.
What do I want to leave behind?
– Gary Thomas
The primary purpose of having hands and feet
that reach out to others is to display God’s glory.
– Gary Thomas
The greatest ethical challenge is so to live
that men don’t glorify you for living that way, but God.
– John Piper
Why We Give Glory To God
We live in a world of self-glorification. We want others to be impressed with us, to praise us, to respect us, to be in awe of us. We want the glory. And if life is all about us, then we should get the glory. But life is not all about us, and Psalm 115:1a points us in a different direction:
Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory.
Instead of seeking glory for ourselves, we are to give all the glory to God. We should want others to be impressed with God, to praise God, to respect God, to be in awe of God. We want God to get the glory.
Two questions spring from this call to give glory to God. First, why should we give God the glory? Second, how do we give God the glory? We will deal with the second question in a later post. For now, consider four reasons from Psalm 115 that we should give all the glory to God:
- He is a God of love and faithfulness (v1b). We should give God glory because of his incredible love for us as demonstrated on the cross. Because of his love, we can be forgiven, have a new life in relationship with God, and have the hope of heaven. And he is faithful to us. His mercies are new every morning. He keeps his promises to us. Why should we give God all the glory? Because of his love and faithfulness.
- He is the one true God (v2-8). The gods of this world can be seen, but they are impotent. Whether we talk about the carved idols of the pagans, or the gods we construct in our own minds, or the gods we make out of material things, they can not bring satisfaction, fulfillment, or security. They don’t have eyes to see our trouble. They don’t have ears to hear our cries. They don’t have noses to smell our fear. They don’t have mouths to speak words of comfort. They don’t have hands to help us. They don’t have feet to go to our defense. They are worthless gods. But “our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Though we can’t see him, he is omnipotent – all-powerful. And he can see our trouble, hear our cries, smell our fear, speak comfort to us, help us in our need, and go to our defense. Why should we give God all the glory? Because he is the one true God.
- He is our help and shield (v9-11). Think of the many ways God has helped us through trials and struggles. Consider how he has been a refuge, a strength, an encouragement to us. And he has been a shield to us, protecting us from countless possible injuries, calamities, and accidents that we may never even be aware of. Why should we give God all the glory? Because he is our help and shield.
- He is the source of all our blessings (v12-18). Again and again, we read that he will bless us. We need not fear that his blessings will end – he will bless us. And he is not skimpy in his blessings, but he pours out blessing upon blessing. As the Creator of all things, he can bless us. “He does all that he pleases” – and he pleases to bless us! Why should we give God all the glory? Because of his many blessings to us.
In God, we find many reasons to give God all the glory. May we respond to our great God by giving him the glory that he deserves today.
Declaring the Glory
Bond Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Passion Points
Here are some good posts to help you pray and continue to ponder thanksgiving:
Let My First Thought Today Be of You – John Baillie (via Trevin Wax)
Eternal Father of my soul,
let my first thought today be of You,
let my first impulse be to worship You…
A Prayer for Overflowing with Thanksgiving – Scotty Smith
Dear Lord Jesus, I want to be a man who gives you the quality and quantity of thanks of which you are so absolutely worthy. Not like a slow drip, a babbling brook, or a meandering stream, but like a geyser—a gospel geyser—spontaneously erupting with gratitude any and every moment. I want to overflow with thankfulness…
Entitlement and Thanksgiving – Thom Rainer
If I feel entitled, I complain to God about why He is treating me so unfairly.
If I am thankful, I know that I deserve nothing good, that all gifts are an act of grace.
A Prayer for our President – Kevin DeYoung
Grant him wisdom, courage, and integrity as a man and as a leader.
Keep him faithful, kind, and loving as a husband and father…
Pray For Your Pastor – Tim Challies
Pastors see the reality of the spiritual battle they face and they long for prayers—your prayers…
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping the Lord with His people!
Thanksgiving Posts
Here are some good posts to ponder for Thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving Quotes – Three Passions
A Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving – The Valley of Visions (via Tim Challies)
Thanksgiving and the Appropriate Number of Prepositions – Tim Challies
(You must be thankful to, not just thankful for)
What Really Happened on the First Thanksgiving – Justin Taylor
Family Feuds and Tensions over the Holidays – Justin Taylor
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving giving thanks to our great God!
You Have Been Good
Here is a great song to get us thinking about God’s goodness as we prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow:
Declaring the Glory
Lake Superior coastline in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
When the Gospel Invades Your Office – Interview with Tim Keller (via Gospel Coalition)
It is quite possible to believe that your deepest identity should be in Christ, but still have a heart functioning as if it is grounded in your work.
8 Observations About Sacrificial Giving – J.D. Greear
Everybody had a part because God was not after a few resources of a few wealthy people; he was after the hearts of all his people.
Seven Reasons Why Evangelism Should Be A Priority Of Your Church – Thom Rainer
Pastors and other leaders must fall on their faces before God and ask Him to reignite their congregations with an evangelistic passion. When evangelism dies as a priority in the church, the church has already begun to die.
6 Simple Ways To Be Missional – Tim Chester (via Resurgence)
We all eat three meals a day. That’s 21 opportunities for church and mission each week without adding anything new to your schedule. And meals are a powerful expression of welcome and community.
How To Grow In Courage – Kevin DeYoung
You will not be bold to speak of Jesus unless you spend much time with Jesus. Courage comes out of communion.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our great God with your local church!
How To Persevere
God wants us to persevere in trials. God wants us to persevere in doing good. So how can we persevere? Four words from God’s Word:
- Grace (II Corinthians 12:9) – His grace will be sufficient for us. In our moments (or days) of weakness, he is our strength. We are insufficient to persevere on our own, but we can persevere as we lean on his grace and strength.
- Group (Hebrews 10:24-25) – We need one another to spur us on to do good. We need one another to encourage us through the trials. We were not designed to run this race alone. We need a group of believers to help us persevere.
- Gaze (Hebrews 12:1-2) – We run this race with endurance as we look to Jesus. We are to look to the Lord who can help us (Psalm 121:1-2). Our gaze is not on the group who can fail us, but on the One who will never fail us. Our trust is in him. Our cry is to him. We can persevere as we keep our gaze on Jesus.
- Goal (Philippians 3:14) – Paul persevered as he remembered and pressed on for the goal. Jesus persevered as he remembered the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2). When we grow weary and tired, we remember the goal, the prize, the finish line. We remember the joys of heaven, our great inheritance. We remember our sure hope of being with the Lord forever. We can persevere as we remember the goal.
How might you need to apply these four words to your life today?
Brian J. Mikul 