Psalm 51: Appealing to God's Glory
You're always in a safe place when you're appealing to God's glory. This is exactly what David does in Psalm 51:18,19; "In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem." Why? "Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar." David is essentially saying, "God bless your people because if you do, they'll live for your glory." This is what all truly biblical prayer will do. Now, we often reduce prayer to a laundry list of self-focused needs in which we ask God to exercise his power for the sake of our comfort or for the purpose of self-glory. You know the requests:
God give me wisdom at work (so I can make more money and acquire more power).
God alleviate my financial woes (so I have more money to spend on the pleasure and possessions that will make me happy).
God help my daughter to be more respectful (so that my evenings will be more peaceful so I can get the things done that I want to get done).
God work in the life of my husband (so I can finally experience the marriage of my dreams).
God give me a better relationship with my neighbor (so he will like me enough to make his dog quit trampling my flower beds).
God please heal my body (so that I can do the physical things that I love to do).
So much of our prayer has nothing to do with the glory of God. Regrettably, in much of our prayer we're actually asking God to endorse our pursuit of a whole catalog of self-focused false glories. For God to be willing to do that would not only mean a denial of who he is, but it will also mean our destruction.
But perhaps you're thinking, "Paul, it doesn't seem loving for God to be so focused on his own glory. How does it help me to have God's zeal for his own glory be greater than his zeal for anything else?" This is a very good question and worthy of an answer.
First, don't fall into evaluating the character of God as you'd evaluate the character of a human being. God is not a man and cannot be judged by the standards that he's set for human beings. For a human to be obsessed by his own glory would be a horrendous spirit of pride and self-aggrandizement. But not so with God. He's a being of a different kind. He's in a position unparalleled in the universe. To judge God by the laws he's set for people is like judging a poodle by goldfish standards. They are different kinds of creatures. The goldfish was designed to live under water. If you attempt to apply that standard to your poodle, it will drown quickly!
So, it is right, good, and beneficial for God to find his greatest pleasure in his own glory simply because he is God. It's important for you to understand the logic of what you have just read. If God were to deny his own glory, he would by that act cease to be God. To be God, he must be above and beyond every created thing. Willingness to subjugate himself to anything other than himself would cause him to no longer be Lord over all. God's zeal for his glory really is the hope of the universe. You see, the hope of everything that's been created is that the pure, holy, wise and good plan of God would finally and ultimately win. This is the only way in which all that's been broken by sin will someday be restored. If God would forsake his glory (and therefore, his glorious purposes) all of his promises would have less value than the paper on which they were printed and the hopes for salvation of every sinner would be dashed. You see, in delighting in his own glory, calling us to live for his glory, and enabling us to do so, God frees us from our self-destructive addiction to self-glory and the endless catalog of false glories that comes with it.
So, God's unshakable commitment to his own glory is the most loving thing he could ever do for us. It's what redeems us from us and breaks our bondage to all the things in life that we wrongly think will give us life, but only lead to emptiness and ultimately death.
So when you pray, appeal to God's glory as David did. When you do this you're not only submitting your heart to God, but you're asking him to love you with the kind of liberating love that only he can give you. Each time you pray this way you celebrate your freedom as a child of God, and you grow in your ability to recognize the difference between GLORY and glory.
18 Comments:
Dear friends
We do not agree with this year Brit awards decision.
Please visit our little web poll
http://micropoll.com/t/KDqOnZBCWt
Lady Gaga can not be better than Nina Hagen
Poll supported by BRIT awards 2010 sponsor femmestyle
[url=http://www.femmestyle.ch/schoenheitschirurgie/brustverkleinerung/index.html]brustverkleinerung[/url]
PRINCE HARRY WISHES HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BRIT AWARDS
With a special birthday message from Prince Harry for the 30th Anniversary of the BRIT Awards
Well your article helped me altogether much in my college assignment. Hats high to you enter, will look audacious for more cognate articles in a jiffy as its anecdote of my choice topic to read.
There's a good amount of wedding cake galleries on the net. However, here we are going to discuss about some hot wedding cake trends. The table in which the birthday cake is placed also should be decorated suitably.
Here is my web page ... http://www.cakedecoratingtrends.com/ideas/preview/1273/babyshowerideasmoderndiapercakestinyprintsblog.html
ADDENDUM -- You have come to the end of this article related to North Carolina Beach Weddings.
But if these bouquets are made more sophisticated, they may also
be carried in front too. Far too often brides decide they want a
particular wedding theme and they stop there.
Here is my web-site Vintage wedding ideas posts
Hi there, I found your site via Google even as looking for
a related topic, your web site got here up, it appears to be like good.
I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and located that it is really informative.
I am gonna be careful for brussels. I'll appreciate if you happen to continue this in future. Numerous other people can be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
Here is my web blog: quantrim pills
I'm really enjoying the design and layout of your blog. It's a very easy
on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant
for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Outstanding work!
My webpage Sidney Crosby Black Jersey
Tremendous issues here. I'm very satisfied to see your post. Thanks a lot and I'm having a
look ahead to contact you. Will you please drop me a mail?
Here is my website - Abercrombie Paris
What's Happening i'm new to this, I stumbled upon this I've found It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & help other users like its aided me. Good job.
Here is my weblog ... More hints
I'm curious to find out what blog system you're utilizing?
I'm experiencing some small security problems with my latest website and I would like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?
My web page - Read Full Article
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but
after I clicked submit my comment didn't show up. Grrrr... well I'm not writing all that over again.
Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Feel free to visit my web page Learn More
I've read some just right stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much attempt you set to create such a magnificent informative website.
Take a look at my weblog: Mulberry Bags
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Firefox.
I'm not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I'd post
to let you know. The design and style look great though!
Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Many thanks
My web blog :: Air max
Fantastic goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff prior to
and you are simply extremely excellent. I actually like what you've bought right here, really like what you are stating and the best way by which you say it. You are making it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible. I can't wait to learn much more from you.
That is really a tremendous website.
Feel free to visit my web-site; Air Jordan
Fine way of telling, and fastidious post to obtain facts about my presentation subject,
which i am going to present in institution of higher
education.
my weblog next page
ninest123 16.03
prada outlet, nike outlet, longchamp outlet, burberry outlet, gucci handbags, ralph lauren polo, cheap jordans, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton outlet online, oakley sunglasses, uggs on sale, louis vuitton outlet, tiffany jewelry, replica watches, ralph lauren outlet, michael kors outlet, longchamp outlet, cheap oakley sunglasses, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors handbags, replica watches, michael kors outlet online, oakley sunglasses, uggs on sale, louboutin shoes, christian louboutin, ray ban sunglasses, uggs outlet, nike free, christian louboutin, uggs outlet, tiffany jewelry, nike air max, oakley sunglasses, longchamp bags, uggs on sale, michael kors outlet online, michael kors outlet online, nike air max, louis vuitton handbags, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton, ray ban sunglasses, louboutin uk, michael kors, tory burch outlet, burberry factory outlet, prada handbags
lunette oakley pas cher, nike roshe run pas cher, lululemon outlet, hollister uk, jordan pas cher, coach purses, lunette ray ban pas cher, nike tn pas cher, hogan sito ufficiale, abercrombie and fitch, new balance, longchamp soldes, nike blazer pas cher, true religion outlet, true religion outlet, michael kors, replica handbags, michael kors, sac guess pas cher, ray ban uk, nike air max, mulberry uk, vans pas cher, abercrombie and fitch UK, louboutin pas cher, nike air max pas cher, coach outlet store online, nike free pas cher, true religion jeans, polo lacoste pas cher, true religion outlet, nike air max uk, ralph lauren pas cher, kate spade outlet, longchamp pas cher, nike air force, polo ralph lauren uk, hermes pas cher, michael kors uk, north face uk, timberland pas cher, vanessa bruno pas cher, nike free, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet, nike air max uk, burberry pas cher, north face pas cher, converse
swarovski jewelry, coach outlet, links of london uk, canada goose, canada goose pas cher, moncler, barbour, ugg pas cher, louis vuitton, supra shoes, converse, wedding dresses uk, pandora charms, canada goose uk, karen millen uk, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, canada goose outlet, louis vuitton uk, pandora uk, replica watches, moncler, moncler pas cher, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, moncler, swarovski uk, canada goose outlet, canada goose jackets, moncler, converse shoes outlet, bottes ugg pas cher, barbour jackets uk, canada goose jackets, hollister, marc jacobs, thomas sabo uk, ugg uk, toms shoes, moncler uk, sac louis vuitton, sac louis vuitton, gucci, pandora jewelry, moncler jackets, juicy couture outlet, pandora jewelry, montre pas cher, juicy couture outlet, canada goose, louis vuitton, moncler outlet, ray ban, lancel
ninest123 16.03
Very helpful advice within this post
http://www.kuwait.prokr.net/
http://www.emirates.prokr.net/
Post a Comment
<< Home