Psalm 79 – God Seeks His Own Glory
God of our salvation, help us, for the glory of your name. Rescue us and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake. (Psalms 79:9)
This Psalm was written after the destruction of Jerusalem by the invading Babylonian forces. The people cried out for God to rescue and restore them “for the glory of your name.” They knew that Israel’s enemies would see the defeat of Jerusalem as a sign of the powerlessness of Israel’s God. So they begged God to preserve his reputation and display his glory.
It seems arrogant and self-centered for God to seek his own glory. But throughout the Bible, we find him doing exactly that. Why? Because he wants more people to hear about him, seek him, and be saved by him. If you were the only person in the world who had the cure for COVID, you would be posting it all over social media, going on endless TV interviews, and taking out full-page ads in newspapers. You would be seeking your own glory, but only so that people could be blessed and saved. In the same way, God does “not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9). He glorifies himself, for your benefit.
Get Daily Boost posts in your inbox