Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.-- 1 Chronicles 16:24
"Declare God's Glory!!!" Those words took residence in a prominent location on the front of my refrigerator many months ago, emblazoned upon an index card. I see them every time I prepare dinner. I read them whenever I reach for my pitcher of cold sweet tea (a true Southern tradition). I repeat them, sometimes silently, sometimes boldly in full voice, with each grasp of the door handle. Those three words stand etched in stone before my mind's eye.
Many of us poor mortals trudge through life wondering why we are here, what we're supposed to do. We even question what life itself is all about, what is its meaning and purpose. We pose the questions in songs, in literature, in private musings, and even in public conversations. After years of this futility, many give up questioning. Some adopt an egocentric attitude and decide to take for themselves what they can while they can. Others choose a hedonistic approach, and do it if it feels good, not matter what "it" is or who else might be affected by their actions. Still others resign themselves to never knowing the answers, and thus have no outlook on life other than to get through it.
But countless numbers of us figured it out long ago. Someone introduced us to God, our parents or a pastor or a good friend, and we built a growing, loving relationship with Him. We read His word as recorded in the Holy Bible and understand our relationship with Him, and within that relationship our purpose in life -- to declare the glory of God!
I say "countless numbers" because in Revalation 7:9 (NIV), John tells us: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." These were those whose names appear in the Book of Life, the saved. Now in other verses John reported the number of angels around the throne as ten thousand times ten thousand, and that those sealed numbered one hundred and forty-four thousand, and that the army of the horsemen numbered two hundred million. So just how large a throng must John have encountered that "no one could count"? Much larger than two hundred million, or ten thousand times ten thousand. A countless multitude of saved souls.
God created us that we might worship Him. He gave us free will that we might choose to worship Him, or we might choose one of the approaches mentioned above, taking the path of the lost. Angels have no choice but to worship God. They were created by the Maker to do just that and only that, to serve the Lord with all their being. But God gave us a choice. He loves us so dearly that He was willing to take a chance that we might not love Him in return. But by taking that risk, He is so greatly rewarded and pleased when we do choose to love Him, to worship Him as our Lord, not because we have to, but because we WANT to!
Those of us who are parents know the risk God takes here. We bring children into this world, care for them, nurture them, provide for their needs, teach them as best we can. We love them. And we hope and pray that they will love us in return. How woeful we become, how filled with sorrow, when they rebel against our authority, as teens are wont to do. But oh how great is the feeling, how wonderful, when as adults they show us they indeed do love us and understand what we tried to do for them.
That is how it must feel for God when we choose to love and worship Him. He created us. He loves us enough to give His only Son up as the ultimate sacrifice, giving us eternal life at His side if we only believe in His Son as our Savior, if we only choose to worship and love the Lord.
How then do we repay that love God showers upon us? By worshipping Him. And how better to worship God than by declaring His glory to all the nations, his wonders to all His people! So grab a sheet of paper and write down those three words. Stick it on your refrigerator, your front door, your bathroom mirror, or all three! Repeat the words as often as you see them. Soon you will see them, as do I, emblazoned across the very skies before you.
Declare God's Glory!!! Amen.
