Tag: Psalm 115

How We Give Glory To God

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

In an earlier post, we looked at four reasons to give glory to God from Psalm 115.  Today, we want to consider four ways we give glory to God from the same psalm.  How do we give glory to God?

  • We give glory to God as we serve him (v2-8).  Followers of idols serve their idol, giving their obedience and allegiance.  As followers of the one true God, we should serve him, giving him our full obedience and allegiance.  Does he have your complete allegiance?  As we show that he alone is worthy of our total service, obedience, and allegiance, faithfully serve him each day, we give him glory.
  • We give glory to God as we trust him (v8-11).  Those who follow idols, trust in their idols.  But we trust in the Lord as our help and shield.    Are you trusting him in your current circumstances?  As we show that he alone is worthy of our complete trust, and we trust him in each situation, we give him glory.
  • We give God glory as we seek to be good stewards of his blessings (v12-17).  God has blessed us with countless blessings.  He has given us the resources of the earth.  He has given us whatever time we have here on earth.  How are you using his blessings?  His resources?  The time he has given you?  Are you using his blessings for selfish pursuits for your glory?  Or are you using his resources for the kingdom for his glory?  As we show that he is worthy of our stewardship, and we daily live as good stewards, we give him glory.
  • We give glory to God as we praise him (v12-18).  In response to his many blessings, we ought to praise him.  We ought to be grateful.  In our limited time here on earth, we should praise God.  We should give ourselves to singing his praises as we gather together as his people.  We should give ourselves to praising him all week longs as we talk about the great things he has done for us.  Are you giving yourself to praising God?  As we show that he is worthy of our praises, and we praise him each day, we give him glory.

God is worthy.  Will you give him the glory he deserves today?

Passion Points: Idolatry

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

For your weekend reading, we return to the important issue of idolatry: placing ourselves or something else before God.

We Are Not God – John Piper (via Tim Challies)
But when humans forsake their Maker and love other things more, they become like the things they love—small, insignificant, weightless, inconsequential, and God-diminishing.

Same-Sex Marriage Make a Lot of Sense – Michael Horton
If God exists for our happiness and self-fulfillment, validating our sovereign right to choose our identity, then opposition to same-sex marriage (or abortion) is just irrational prejudice.

Why Idolatry Was (And Is) Attractive – Kevin DeYoung
Can you see the attraction of idolatry? “Let’s see I want a spirituality that gets me lots, costs me little, is easy to see, easy to do, has few ethical or doctrinal boundaries, guarantees me success, feels good, and doesn’t offend those around me.”

That Idol That You Love Doesn’t Love You Back – Justin Buzzard (via Crossway)
Here’s what you need to know about your idol: That idol that you love, it doesn’t love you back. False gods don’t love you. Idols don’t keep their promises. Anything you worship and build your life on other than God will suck the life out of you and destroy you.

Or as Psalm 115:2-8 so well puts it:

  Why should the nations say,
  “Where is their God?”
 Our God is in the heavens;
  he does all that he pleases.
  Their idols are silver and gold,
  the work of human hands.
 They have mouths, but do not speak;
  eyes, but do not see.
 They have ears, but do not hear;
  noses, but do not smell.
 They have hands, but do not feel;
  feet, but do not walk;
  and they do not make a sound in their throat.
 Those who make them become like them;
  so do all who trust in them.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your church family worshipping the one true God!