Reading Psalm 115:1

Photo courtesy of Chaiwat, FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A friend posted this verse along with a beautiful background on her social media page:

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,

but unto thy name give glory,

for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

(Psalm 115:1)

Let’s take it apart and find some of the jewels in this treasure trove.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us—It’s not about us! The world’s message is “it’s all about you,” but the Bible clearly says the emphasis is supposed to be elsewhere. God wants our focus to be on Him and not on ourselves. 

• Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3).
• John the Baptist said, He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
• Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God (2 Corinthians 3:5).

So, who gets the glory? When we see the word “LORD” in all capital letters, it is the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh. It’s the same as “I AM.” This is the name of the ever present, eternal God. The second phrase of Psalm 115:1 says, but unto thy name give glory. There are two points, here:

1. The glory is for God.

• For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen (Romans 11:36).
• For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:20).
• But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17).

2. The glory is for His Name.

• Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again (John 12:28).
• Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth (Philippians 2:9-10)
• That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:12).
• Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest (Revelation 15:4).

Why does God get the glory? Again we have two answers.

1. For (because of) His mercy. Mercy can be defined as “goodness, kindness, faithfulness.”*

• And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments (Deuteronomy 5:10).
• Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds (Psalm 36:5).
• O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 136:1).

2. For (because of) His truth.

• And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6).
• All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies (Psalm 25:10).
• Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice (John 18:37).

Christianity today probably isn’t very different from in the past. We notice the trends: seeker-friendly churches (They cater to what people like and don’t like about traditional church.), “relevant” programs, social over spiritual, more performances and less preaching, etc. Now, not all of these ideas are wrong, but we see the movement toward what people like over what pleases God.

The glory is for God. God is to be center-stage, central in our hearts, central to our actions. Anything we do or say, eat or drink should actually point to God, glorifying Him. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:15) God’s Name is important and deserves praise.

Let’s emphasize God in every area of our lives!

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.

* Online Bible