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glorifying God

Making Him Ordinary

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I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (NIV) Psalm 86:12

From Genesis to Revelation we see that God has one central purpose for creation and for mankind. It all comes down to 1 issue – His glory! As Christians live like Christ, others see the character of God fleshed out before them. . . our visible lifestyle spotlights the invisible yet Almighty God. . .and that brings Him glory! In contrast, the Hebrew word that is translated “profane” basically means “to treat as common or ordinary.” We “profane” God’s name, when our lives reflect that our God is just “ordinary.” Today we either glorify or profane God’s Name by what we say and think and do.

We profane God’s Name when. . .
Money is a higher priority than God
Our careers are a higher priority than God
Approval from others is more important than approval from God
Achievement is a higher priority than God
Possessions are a higher priority than God
Notoriety is a higher priority than God

When we attempt to use any of these to meet our needs instead of God, we proclaim to those around us that “God is not enough.” What about you? Are you glorifying God’s name or making it “ordinary”?

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His Glory At Stake

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“I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (NIV) Isaiah 42:8

God gives Solomon and the Israelites a sullen warning:
“But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them– that is why he brought all this disaster on them.'” (2 Chronicles 7:19-22)

What is going on? Why would God indwell the temple and then destroy it? Because God’s reputation is at stake. From Genesis to Revelation we see that God has one central purpose for creation and for mankind. It all comes down to 1 issue – His glory!

. . .”before all the people I will be glorified. (KJV) Leviticus 10:3
“I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (NIV) Isaiah 42:8
. . .”that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (NIV) Philippians 2:10

“God’s utmost purpose for Israel was that they should spread His fame to surrounding nations. As the people of God lived out the commands of God, other nations would see the character of God fleshed out before them. . . .Israel’s visible lifestyle would spotlight the invisible yet mighty God who reigned over them and over the universe” (Dwight Edwards). Other nations would draw conclusions about God based upon the Jews lifestyle! Think about that for a minute. The Creator of the universe was staking His reputation on the conduct of His children. The Israelites were to be God’s flesh and blood credentials that He alone is God.

How incredible to think that God would use such unlikely material – people like us! And yet, that is exactly what He’s still doing!
Today, God’s presence does not reside in a temple in Jerusalem, it resides within us.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (NIV) 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (NIV) 1 Corinthians 6:19

God is still staking His reputation on our lifestyles!

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One Desire

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There is a God shaped hole in every heart.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (NIV) Psalm 63:1

As I read the Psalms, I am amazed at David’s heart after God. And at times I have to admit that I get a bit jealous of His passion for God. I wish that I had the same intensity as David did for his God. Listen to what he writes. . .

  • O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; (verse 1)
  • My soul thirsts for you, (verse 1)
  • My body longs for you (verse 1)
  • Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you (verse 3)
  • I will praise you as long as I live, (verse 4)
  • And in your name I will lift up my hands (verse 4)
  • My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; (verse 5)
  • With singing lips my mouth will praise you (verse 5)
  • On my bed I remember you; (verse 6)
  • I think of you through the watches of the night (verse 6)
  • My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me (verse 8)

Let me ask you. . .How do you earnestly seek God? Does your soul thirst for Him? Does your body long for His presence? How do your words glorify God? How does your lifestyle praise His Name? Are you satisfied with the riches of His grace? Or do you complain about how He has sovereignly planned your life? Do you think of God often? Is He constantly on your mind? the center of your focus? Do you cling to Him and nothing else?

Will you join me in asking God to give you the earnest desire to know Him and Him alone? Ask Him to give you the same heart after God that David had. . . and watch the way God empowers your life through His Spirit!

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