Glory To His Name
"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psalm 115:1 NIV)
What thing have you lost lately?
A job? A hope? A comfort? A dream? A plan? A direction?
I'm guessing you didn't have to think very hard or very long to come up with an answer to that question.
But maybe you're wondering what the question has to do with God's name being glorified?
The connection between loss and God's glory is a line God has been trying to draw in my mind for a couple years now.
If I lose something I want, something I long for, something I value, something I hold dear, I feel lessened somehow. But less of me means more of God; less of my "glory"—my "light," who I am—means more of His.
Less is never God's ultimate ending point. He is the God of more. Often, though, He gets us to more by way of less. In order for my hands to be open to receive that "more," I must first empty them of whatever lesser thing I might be holding onto.
"When we pray that our lives may glorify Him, we are asking that the self may be put down. We must be prepared to lose ourselves, whatever that may entail, that God may be all in all. Losing an argument for his sake, losing something we held dear, losing 'face,' reputation, a position of power or superiority, losing a claim on someone or on his affection or respect—can these be a part of the answer to our prayer to glorify God in our lives? Assuredly they can, for assuredly the Son Himself laid aside all such assets when he came to do the will of the Father. What a privileged position we are called to share.
"Lord, lift up our eyes, away from ourselves and our small losses, up to that glory yet to be reveal. Teach us that it is only out of weakness that we are made strong, only as we suffer that we may reign, only as we lose that we may gain" (Elisabeth Elliot, "A Lamp for My Feet).
Weakening to strengthening.
Suffering to reigning.
Losing to gaining.
Glory to Your Name, O God. Help me to make it known.
To paraphrase and personalize Psalm 115:1: "Not to me, O Lord, not to me, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness."
Glory to Your Name, O God. Help me to make it known.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!