Glory to Your Name

Recently after preaching in my church, someone I never met before approached me. She thanked me for the message and told me that she reads my columns faithfully and appreciates them. I thanked her heartily because our brief exchange was a real blessing to me. In a sense, she was bringing glory to my name even though I didn’t understand how she even knew my name or who I was. There are people in the world and godless nations who, at this point, may not know the name of Jesus. They do not acknowledge God the Father or the Holy Spirit, but one day they will. His name will receive the glory that he alone deserves. As I conclude looking at Psalm 86, I am reminded of the future even though I may struggle with what happens in the present.

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name (Psalm 86:9). Throughout the centuries, nations and rulers have risen and fallen. Not one of them caught God by surprise. After all, he made the nations. A sovereign God allows the good and bad in each person and their country to play out based on their choices. One day even the godless will have no choice but to acknowledge the Lord and bring glory to his name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God (10). Many children grew up praying before meals, a prayer which began with the phrase “God is great”. When we read biblical accounts, we recognize the power and greatness of our God. We can see the marvelous deeds he did in the past. But it doesn’t take long to also recognize that he works today in amazing ways as well. I know an older gentleman who loves nature and can see God’s handiwork in many areas, whether it is in plant life or the animal kingdom. He has a great appreciation for the small details with which God created and sustains. The fact that he alone is God is obvious because no human being can come close to knowing the mind of God or being like him. We should seek to imitate him, but we recognize that we are his creation, and he is the creator. Each day we should recognize his greatness and the marvelous deeds he does for the good of his children.

I’ve heard many people say that they are not good at memorizing scripture. I would include myself in that group. But David prays something in this song that we would be wise to memorize. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (11). Because of technology today, there are many things that we can learn about in an instant. Research has become very easy. But the most important thing we can learn is the way of the Lord. I find that the older I get the more I realize how much more I must learn and apply as far as God’s word and ways. There is a correlation between being taught the ways of God and walking in his truth. If we want to navigate through life, our steps must be guided by the word of God. And David prays for an undivided heart because it is so easy to be distracted and tempted to pursue things that don’t matter or are harmful to us. We need a heart that stays on Jesus. That will result in fearing the name of the Lord.

The more we understand the ways of God and walk in his truth, the more likely we are to naturally praise him. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever (12). Sometimes a worship leader in church will challenge the congregation to really praise God with a song. That is certainly a good thing to do. But our praise should not be limited

to Sunday morning. The Lord deserves our praise from the time we wake up to the time we fall asleep each day of the week. We may not always have a song in our heart, but we can certainly have the word of God in the back of our minds and be prepared to pray with thanksgiving. His name is worthy of praise and glory. In a sense, this life is just practiced for praising him for all eternity.

Speaking of eternity... For great is your love for me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave (13). God gave his son because of his great love for us. Those who believe in him are delivered from being separated from God forever. Death is defeated and we need not fear the grave. One of the things we can praise God for daily is his amazing love for us. That great love changes everything.

David wrote this Psalm in the context of being pursued and attacked by his enemies. Despite that, he kept his heart focused on the goodness of God. He may have been exposed to angry and hateful men, but he took solace in who God is and how he is. But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness (15). We can be thankful that the Lord looks at people with a compassionate heart. Since he is a gracious God, we don’t get what we deserve. Jesus changes that when we put our faith in him. The Bible does not state that God does not get angry, but that he is slow to anger. And his love is something that abounds, just like his faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant strength to your servant and save the son of your maid servant (16). In the past several weeks, two ladies from my church have received cancer diagnoses. These faithful women and their husbands and children have naturally been shaken and are scared. Yet, in new ways they are asking God to turn to them and have mercy on them. They need strength and they want to be saved from their medical condition. They are also praying for the Lord’s will to be done. No matter what happens, they will bring glory to his name. That should be the goal of anyone who walks this life with a gracious and loving God.