Morning By Morning #229

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.

Psalm 29:2

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

God’s glory is the result of His nature and His works. He is glorious in His character, for there is such an abundance of everything that is holy, good, and lovely in the Lord, He must be glorious. The actions that flow from His character are also glorious, but while He intends for them to reveal His goodness, mercy, and justice to those He created, He is equally concerned that the glory associated with His deeds be ascribed only to Himself. After all, there is nothing in ourselves in which we may glory, for He is the one who made us differ from one another. And what do we have that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Thus, how careful we should be “to walk humbly” (Micah 6:8) before the Lord!

Since there is room for only one true Glory in the universe, the moment we glorify ourselves, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High God. Shall an insect that lives but one hour glorify itself rather than the sun whose warmth brought it to life? Shall a piece of pottery exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon his potter’s wheel? Shall the dust of the desert compete with the whirlwind, or drops in the ocean contend with a storm?

“Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name” (Ps. 29:1 – 2). “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory” (Ps. 115:1). Learning to apply these two verses is one of the most difficult struggles of a Christian’s life. It is a lesson God is continually teaching us, and learning it often requires the most painful discipline. If a believer were to boast, “I can do everything,” without adding “through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13), then before long he will have to cry out in regret, “I can do nothing!”

When we do anything for the Lord and He is pleased to accept our service for Him, may we “lay [our] crowns” at His feet “before the throne” (Rev. 4:10) and say, “Not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10)!

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

The Lord alone is worthy of our praise and honor, and His Word tells us He is not only jealous but that Jealous is His name: “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Ex. 34:14). As you can see, the thought is reiterated so we will not miss it. Later God said, “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another” (Isa. 42:8).

The remarkable thing is that our “jealous God” is willing to share His glory with His children, for Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22). And Paul said, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rom. 8:17). And although believers will share in His glory, we will continue to glorify Jesus throughout eternity. John described our future as follows:

“In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’” (Rev. 5:12).