TELLING THE GLORY OF GOD

One of the great truths about God is that He wants everyone to see Him and know Him. God is not some distant being who is indifferent to us or who is avoiding us. Instead, the Lord is a God who seeks us and wnats us to come closer to Him.

We can know this is true because "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (Jno. 1:14) God sent His only Son to live among us as one of us, all to prove God wants a relationship with every person. Interestingly, one of the great Psalms tells us of the glory of God.

Creation Tells Of His Glory: -- "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world" (Psa. 19:1-4a). The psalmist lived in a time in which city lights and headlights didn't exist. So, at night anyone could go outside and see the heavens the stars, the moon. So, he describes the "testimony" the heavens provide concerning God. All you have to do is look at the creation and you will know there is a Creator.

Moreover, this God and His reputation can be seen around the world in every culture and every language. In fact, the speech that pours forth is readily understood by all people of all languages and locations. In other words, the fact of God is no secret. Several times we re told the same thing. When Paul was in Lystra, look what he told the people who were,at that time, still worshipping idols. He said: "And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:16,17). Paul reminds us that God allows us to make our own way, our own choices. But, God left a clear witness in the reliability and regularity of the creation. Any honest person can hear the speech of the creation.

In fact, this same apostle claims no one has an excuse in failing to see God. "That which is known about God is evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:19,20). Some claim there is no God, but the creation declares otherwise.

The Word Tells Of His Glory: -- We can tell there is a God, but that doesn't tell us anything about this God's ways or His Will. We can tell He is awesome in power and wisdom. But, that doesn't tell us of His character or standards. So, God gives another witness. "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteosu altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yea, that much fine gold, Sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them, Thy servant is warned, to keeping them there is great reward" (Psa. 19:7-11). God's next great witness is HIs Word, which tells us more and more about the nature of the God who created the universe.

While many in the world look down on the Bible or ridicule it for its "antiquated ways" the Psalmist saw things differently. The law of the Lord revives the soul, makes people wise, gives joy, gives light, pure and enduring does what is right, and is more valuable than the most valuable things on the planet. The Word is not some cold rule book. It is written not to wear us down, but to give us life and joy and happiness.

That is what John means when he says: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and HIs commandments are not burdensome" (1 Jno. 5:3). The Word of God is not in place to ruin our lives, but to enhance them. We can see the glory of God in creation, but in the Word of God we can see the wisdom of God, the needs of man and how they can be met. the spiritual issue of life that are universal among people of all nations. Once we understand that there is a Creatoro and that the Bible reveals Him to us, then we look inside, as did the Psalmist.

Our Hearts Tell Of His Glory: -- "Who can discern his errors? Aquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression" (Psa. 19: 12,13). Once we realize there is a God, we go to the Word of God to understand. What happens then? We realize very quickly that we have not lived up to His standards. We are like Isaiah when he saw God's glory in the temple. "Then I said, 'Woe is me for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts'" (Isa. 6:5). Or, we are like Simon Peter when he witnessed Jesus' power. "But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, 'Depart from me, for I a sinful man, O Lord!'" (Lk. 5:8). The Word of God can expose our hearts and our motives. "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4: 12).

Our exposure to the law of God confronts us head on with our guilt and shame. Like Adam and Eve, we want to hide because as we learn God's law we know we have not done all that it asks of us. In a very real sense, our guilt reminds us there is a God. That is, our hearts and our shame in our sin tell us there is a God. Why would we feel shame? What good does it do? Shame and guilt only make sense if there is a God Who created us and knows what is best for us. The fact that we feel guilt tells of the glory of God. Finally, the Psalmist gives one more thing that tells us of God's glory.

Our Worship Tells Us Of His Glory: -- "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psa. 19:14). The last reaction we have to God after we face our guilt is the desire to honor Him and worship Him. So the writer of Psalms speaks of being acceptable to God in worship, a worship that stems from the heart. This is exactly what Jesus said to the woman at the well. "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (Jno. 4:23,24).

This is why we should want to worship God. If we understand how powerful He is as Creator, if we understand how holy He is from His Word, if we have faced our sins honestly, the most natural thing to do is offer our praise to His glory.

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