 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; 13 he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! Meditation After decades of working diligently at great personal cost, William Wilberforce witnessed the British Parliament vote to abolish the slave trade in 1807. Twenty-six years later Parliament would vote for full emancipation, freeing slaves throughout the British Empire. Throughout the battle for liberation Wilberforce gave credit to God citing the first verse of today’s Psalm: Not to us, oh Lord, but Your name be the glory! Wilberforce reflected the character of God because he worshipped the Lord of this Psalm. Giving himself as Christ gave Himself for us, Wilberforce put his trust in the Lord and was the help and shield of countless millions of slaves throughout the empire (9-11). In contrast, those who worship idols of this world become like them (4-8). Greg Beal’s classic book We become what we Worship powerfully and simply unpacks this key Biblical theme: “We resemble what we revere either for our ruin or restoration.” Worshipping idols of this world makes us blind, deaf, feelingless, and purposeless. God’s grace invites us to return to worship Him to become like Him, re-creating us into His image (Colossians 3:10). God is in the Heavens and does all He pleases (2-4). The Lord is pleased to remember and bless His people, those who fear Him, both small and great (12-13). God gives freedom to captives and liberty to those in bondage by His faithful work through those who seek God’s glory. Richly Dwelling -What to you resemble more, the living God of the Bible or the false gods of our culture? -Where do you need to more faithfully worship the Lord so you can more fully reflect His character in your labor, life, and love? -How can you deflect glory to God more faithfully, giving Him credit for all you do? Be specific. Key Verse Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Comments are closed.
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