Asking God for His Glory

Read: Psalm 115 & 116

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your loving kindness, because of Your truth." Psalm 115:1

Examine:

The Psalmist in this passage is seeking the movement of God in the lives of the people of God. He is asking God to prove the greatness of His name by His blessings in the lives of His people. The key for this passage is the Psalmist's heart is broken for the people of the world who do not know the loving kindness and truth of God. It is the ultimate treasure and the Psalmist wants the world to know of it.

Apply:

There are a few things that I really need to monitor in my own heart. The first thing I need to track is my fellowship with God. Is God, not His blessings but God himself, more than enough for me? If I lost every earthly possession but maintained my fellowship with God would that be ok with me? My God is that real. He is that alive. He has the ability to invade my heart such that even in the face of total devastation He can be enough for me to maintain my joy, hope, and peace. I have to pursue Him that way.

In addition to having a good fellowship with God I also need to monitor my sharing of God. It is easy to become a reservoir, but God's intention is for me to live as a river. What He pours into me is designed to flow out to others. I have to share. I have to speak of Him. I have to talk about His love, His grace, His compassion, and His mercy. I have to use my life to speak of His goodness to others.

Finally, I need to ask God to stamp my life with His glory. That is the ultimate proof of Him to the world. I sometimes feel like I need to be equipped to have a theological debate with people or that I have to clean some things up in my life before I really can have an impact on the world. That is just petty and prideful insecurity. The impact I will have on the world is solely dependent on God taking me as a simple and broken man and revealing His glory through me.

Pray:

Father, I want to have the fellowship with You I see displayed in the writings of the Psalmists. They knew You and enjoyed Your heart in a way that was real and tangible. All they needed or wanted they found in You. Your stirring in their heart was their greatest treasure and reward. I want that to be true in my life. Please stir in me. Meet me in my heart and wreck it for the things that wreck Yours. Center my mission and my talents on a passionate pursuit of You and Your glory. Help me to see the world through Your eyes, hear Your voice through heart of a son, and pursue Your glory as a man totally sold out to finding it.