“To Your Name Give Glory.”

Psalm 115

What a temptation to copy the 18 verses of this Psalm and add no comments, but I must share my thoughts on what this Psalm is titled in the ESV Bible, “To Your Name Give Glory.”  What is the Psalmist’s reasoning for giving Glory, for the steadfast love and God’s faithfulness, to the nation of Israel?  Did they deserve God's love and faithfulness, no way; they broke His laws and covenants and yet He restored them for they were His chosen people?

As one who goes by the title of Christian, a term given to people of the Church in Antioch by the Romans who intended the title “little Christ’s” as an offense.  It became an honor to be called such because it meant the disciples were living Christ-like lives.  But like the Jewish people, when we by faith and confession of our sins ask Jesus to take over our lives, an amazing thing took place; it is recorded in 1 Peter 2:9-10.  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  Like the Jewish people, we who go by the title of Christian did not earn God’s favor, it was not because we were good, it had not one thing to do with our attitude, or actions, we were and still are a sinful people breaking fellowship often, with God’s Spirit.  It was all God and His grace, that is why many of us no longer go by the title of Christian, but a follower of Christ, or back to the time of Paul, a disciple of Christ.  To be called a “little Christ,” we must act at home, Church, school, work as Jesus did, always doing His Father's will.

The problem is that many of us have allowed the desires of the world to remove our desire to be “little Christs,” and we also have worshipped gods that had eyes but could not see, like career, material stuff, or titles and praise of people, even our own children.  Yes, it is easy to take the broad or wide road that leads to destruction and not the narrow road that leads to peace and fellowship with the Lord.  It is so simple, you have no fear of God, and so you lack wisdom and understanding.  

We began many months ago in Psalm one, and the first two verses tell us about the person who walks with God.  “Blessed is the man (or woman, boy or girl) who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”  This writer, for emphasis, added the green.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice