God is Full of Glory and Worthy to be Glorified
Let’s dive a little deeper into what it means that God is full of glory and therefore deserves to be glorified. When we say that God is full of glory, we are saying He is perfect in all His attributes. Brightness describes Him because He is Light and there is no darkness in Him. (1 John 1:5) Beauty describes Him because He is the source of all that is beautiful and wholesome. He is weighty or substantive because He is the source of all created things and reigns above all His creation. There is nothing empty or vain about Him. He is the standard by which all else is measured.
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? (Psalm 89:6)
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)
The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. (Psalm 50:1-2)
How do you respond to Glory?
God created us with natural emotional and physical responses to that which is beautiful or magnificent. Think about your own natural response to a beautiful sunset, a delicious meal, or an incredible musical score. All those things stir up a response within you both to delight in and to make known the wonder of what you have experienced. Do you immediately want to take a picture to remember this experience? Do you find yourself wanting to tell a loved one or friend in excitement about what you’ve just seen or heard? Do you find yourself wanting to learn more or experience more of what you’ve just seen or heard?
Now think about the humans responsible for some of the things we might find glorious. We are quick to acknowledge the talent or abilities of someone who is a gifted musician, chef, builder, designer, or athlete. It is good to give honor where honor is due. However, we fall short when our recognition ends at the human level.
We glorify God in part when we recognize Him as the source of all that is good and glorious. We acknowledge His manifest power, beauty, and majesty within the creation around us including His creation and sustaining power in our own lives. He is the one who defines beauty, Whose art we imitate, Whose knowledge we depend on, and Whose power and sovereignty we rely on to accomplish anything that we do. It should be obvious to us that God is worthy to be delighted in, pursued, honored, and magnified because of who He is and all that He does.
Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113:1-6)
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
Study it Out
Read the following Scripture passages and make note of all of the ways that God has revealed His glory and why He is deserving of all glory. Try to find as many different attributes or characteristics of God as you can find both of His greatness and goodness.
Isaiah 6:1-4; Psalm 19; Psalm 24; Psalm 29; Psalm 50; Psalm 113; Psalm 89:1-18:6; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Chronicles 29:11-13; Revelation 4:11;
Questions to Consider
- Do you find yourself stopping short of glorifying God because your focus is on the gifts rather than the Giver?
- What surrounds you today that can remind you of God’s glory and worth?
- How can you acknowledge and thank God for His glory even in the mundane tasks of life?