Psalm 115
Sunday, 07 April 2024
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.” Ps. 115:1
Psalm 115 reveals the heart of the psalmist that seeks to glorify God. Selfishness and pride have reached to such a great extent that people reach out to God only for their own benefits, but a true believer always humbles himself in His presence, desiring to seek the Lord and to give glory to the One who has created and redeemed him.
Today’s key verse emphasizes that none is worthy to be glorified other than the Lord himself. As the moon doesn’t have its own light but still shines beautifully because it reflects light from the sun, human beings do not have anything to glorify about themselves other than what the Lord has done for them. That is why the Bible teaches us, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1Corinthians 10:31)
How does today’s Psalm exhort us to live a life glorifying God?
· To glorify God, avoid all idolatry (Vs.4-8)
The pages of the Bible are filled with messages that condemn idolatry. The significance God places on it is reflected, when it was written down by Him in the Ten Commandments: “…you shall not make for yourself an idol...” (Exodus 20:3-5). Now you might think that idolatry has very little to do with us today. After all we are not inclined to worship gods of wood or stone. Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images. Anything that replaces the true God is an idol. It can be pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, and love for possessions, family or relatives. Even those who do not bow physically before a statue but has given space to any of these things above God in your heart, is an idol! Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, which He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8).
· To glorify God, Trust in Him (Vs.9-15)
We glorify God by trusting Him as our helper, defender and source of all blessing. Unlike men, He never lies and never fails to fulfill His promises. Unlike men, His plans are perfect, and He works all things together for good for those who love Him and put their trust in Him. Many times, we fail to trust God, because we don’t know Him enough to trust Him. When we make every effort to know God through His Word, we will see that He is worthy of our trust. The first step in getting to know God is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. And as we grow in the Lord Jesus, we will say as Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12, “…nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Since He is Trustworthy, I will glorify Him with all of my being!
· To glorify God, praise Him always (Vs.16-18)
Praise flows from the fullness of a grateful heart and it glorifies none other than the One who took away the penalty of our sin and justified us freely. The psalmist says it so clearly that we can praise Him only when we are alive. A glimpse into heaven in the book of Revelation teaches us the pattern of praise that we need to follow here on earth: the angels and elders and all the heavenly creatures bow down in worship continually glorifying the Lamb on the throne who has bought us with His precious blood. So an attitude of worship and praise need to become a lifestyle for all believers. Charles Spurgeon once said that “though the dead cannot, the wicked will not and the careless do not praise God, yet we will shout ‘Hallelujah’ for ever and ever.”
John the Baptist made a wonderful statement in John 3:30, “He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.” May this be true of all of us as we grow in Christ!
Act on it: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1Cor.6:20)
Listen: ' We Glorify your name'