“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”
I Chronicles 16:24“Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.”
I Chronicles 16:28“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”
Psalm 96:3“The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.”
Psalm 113:4
In addition to our word for the month of January – GLORY – one other word is found in every verse above: NATIONS.
God’s heart for all people is woven into the fabric of scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. His call to Abraham and the establishment of his chosen people was so that they would be the light bearers to the world. The blessing was to carry the message forward – not to keep it exclusively for themselves.
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” God prophesied to Abraham. There is no greater joy than to fulfill this call to bless others as we have been blessed. It is both a privilege and an obligation! If a tree in my backyard was found to produce fruit that cured cancer, would I selfishly keep that secret to myself? Yet, the ultimate truth — the means to receive eternal life — is often withheld from those who are spiritually dying without hope.
The purpose for our existence, the very reason we were created, is to glorify God. There is no greater satisfaction than fulfilling this purpose. Regardless of what we achieve, accomplish, or accumulate in life, something will always be absent if we don’t act on our mission. There is part of our being — Blaise Pascal refers to it as a “God-shaped vacuum” — that cannot be filled by anything but Him.
As we intentionally lean in to embrace and fulfill this call, we are threaded into the “story of His glory” (quote from Steven Hawthorne, writing for One World Missions).
A study of Christian history reveals seasons of revival … times when new worshippers were added to God’s kingdom, joyfully stepping up to glorify Him. The timeline of our individual lives would show the same: sweet times of connection to God and the body of Christ, when our lives were defined by “ascribing to Him the glory” He is worthy to receive. Those were times of peace and satisfaction like no other, when something inside bubbled up in defiance of challenges we faced on the outside.
Historically, God has been glorified in many times and places:
- Beautiful, stately, ornate European cathedrals
- African thatched-roof huts
- Fields in Israel where shepherds were tending their flocks at night
- Russian gulags where Christians were incarcerated and persecuted
- Nazi concentration camps
- Chinese secret house churches
- Outdoor tents revivals in America
- Log cabins in the Midwest
- Tiny ships pummeled and tossed by wind and waves as they crossed the Atlantic
Pilgrims have been found in almost every generation and every corner of the world, making their way to a new land or a safe house as they sought out freedom to glorify God.
In his book, The Insanity of God, author Nik Ripken shares true stories of believers he interviewed all over the world, who chose to glorify God at great risk to their personal safety and very existence. He tells of people who suffered, were tortured, and even lost their lives because of their steadfast commitment to worship God. One believer in Russia challenged Ripken:
“Don’t ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution!”
Though I read this book over five years ago, these words still come to the surface in my heart and mind, challenging me to ask myself: Have I surrendered my call more days than not? Am I too easily distracted by a life of relative ease in my 21st-century, first-world existence?
Do I use my freedom to be devoted, committed, relentless, and passionate in glorifying God? Is that the chief aim of my child-rearing? My life example? And if so, what does that look like, practically speaking?
Shouldn’t our lives be more than fulfilling the American dream and preparing our children to do the same?
The dots on the timeline of our individual lives, as well as those of the nations, will one day merge to one big glorious line of praise to God when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord. A time is coming when “every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 7:9) will:
- “Declare his glory…” I Chronicles 16:24
- “…ascribe to the LORD glory…” I Chronicles 16:28
- “Declare…his marvelous deeds..” Psalm 96:3
As followers of Christ, we will be one day be part of the great chorus, joining in worship together as we behold our Lord “exalted over all the nations.” (Psalm 113:4)
The day is coming, so why not let it begin now? Today is a good day for your heart and my heart to exalt His name and declare His glory!
How are YOU called to glorify God on this day, in your life, in your corner of the world? Today, in these first weeks of a new decade, is a great day to glorify our great God! Now is the time!
Would you like to finish out this first month of the new decade
by writing and studying verses about God’s glory?
It’s never too late to join us!
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