Worshiping and thanking our God who, is our salvation through His Son Jesus, is something we do because He is worthy of our worship and praise. I find myself often recounting His wondrous deeds. The Psalmist said it this way-
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” Psalm 75:1 ESV
How the Psalmist makes his point is clear and concise. We often say that God is good all the time and all the time God is good. What a powerful and true declaration because He is good but He is most importantly God and simply we are not.
It is not too difficult to see that today there are many who presume themselves to be much more than they are and that is a dangerous place for man to find himself. Recognizing God for who He is, is to accept what He declares. I love the way the Scriptures provide for us God's own qualifications of who He is when we read Psalm 50:12-15 ESV
““If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.””
I love that last part where He declares that “…you shall glorify me.”” In 1 Peter 4:11 we read a very important statement for all us. I am using the Amplified Bible to add content.
Whoever speaks [to the congregation], is to do so as one who speaks the oracles (utterances, the very words) of God. Whoever serves [the congregation] is to do so as one who serves by the strength which God [abundantly] supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified [honored and magnified] through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Peter makes it very clear that what we do and say even how we serve others is done through God who provides strength and is done to glorify God. That is done through Jesus Christ and to Him belongs the glory.
We know that God is triune. Merriman-Webster defines triune as three in one, of or relating to the Trinity. As the triune God, consisting of three parts, members, or aspects.
God is glorified yet God who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit says He is glorified through Jesus Christ. Glorified through His coming as a baby in a manger. Teaching and then dying on the cross for the sins of man. Rising from the dead defeating death and now sitting on the right hand of God the Father interceding for us.
Do we want things to be better than they are now? Certainly we do despite the wars, disease, hate, death, lawlessness, jealousy, and the list goes on. In real ways, things keep getting worse each day. As we read and understand Scripture, we find that in many ways things will not get better. As a matter of fact, according to Scriptural prophecy, they will keep getting worse and worse.
So what do we do? Keep our eyes on the eastern sky for our redeemer is coming to receive His church. Fight the good fight as Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:12 ESV-
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
My hope for you and for me today is that the focus is on Him and not on all of the things that are going on around us. It helps to remember Scripture and to recount as we learned earlier.
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” Psalm 75:1 ESV
In God's Grace,
Elbert Nasworthy
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