What can be more important than to glorify God and enjoy Him forever? According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism this is the chief end of man. Some of the ways we glorify God are to serve Him, obey His will, understand and proclaim His greatness, and always reverence Him with thankfulness and praise. And while these activities often require self-denial, paradoxically self-denial is the pathway to ultimate satisfaction and enjoyment in God.
Did you know that even inanimate objects were created to glorify God? (Psalm 148:3) tells us: “Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!” Praising God is one of the best ways to glorify God for we read in (Psalm 50:23): “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…” Thus, in this context the sun, moon, and stars praise or glorify God when they do what they were created to do. When the sun warms the earth, when the moon comforts us in the night and controls the tides, and when the stars cause us to gaze in wonder at the awesomeness of our universe, they are in essence glorifying God.
So, if these lifeless bodies can praise and glorify God how much more should we do everything in our being to do likewise. We know from the book of Genesis that our first ancestors, Adam and Eve, were created to serve God through voluntary and joyful obedience. They were tasked to manage God’s created world and by so doing they would glorify God and enjoy Him forever through daily communion. Sadly, ever since the Fall, mankind has been unable to do what he was created to do. But praise God thanks to Jesus we are now able to glorify God and enjoy Him forever once again!
One of the best ways to glorify God, in addition to lovingly serving Him through obedience to His will, is to spend quality time throughout the day praising Him. And the more you fall in love with Jesus the easier it becomes to praise Him in all situations. (Psalm 150:2) tells us: “Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” One of the greatest insights I have learned as a Christian is that we don’t just praise God based on how we feel, but we praise Him based on who He is. And since we know that God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), every situation in life, whether good or bad, is an occasion to praise and glorify the Lord.
We know from Scripture that praise is often the great antidote when we are feeling down and going through dark times for we are told in (Isaiah 61:3) to put on “…The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” Stormie Omartian adds insight here when she says: “In the darkest times of your life, your praise to God should be the loudest. Let the enemy know you’re not afraid of the dark.”1
Knowing who God is, that He is the Creator and sustainer of the universe, that He died on the cross to save us from our sins and give us eternal life, and that He promises to turn our trials and suffering into opportunities to advance the kingdom of God and thus glorify His name, should give us ample reason to always want to praise Him. And as I shared in (Psalm 50:3) above: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…”
And I firmly believe the more we praise God the more we please Him. And the more we please Him the closer we will enter into joyful communion with Him. Thus, praising God accomplishes two things. It glorifies Him and allows us to experience the greatest joy known to man – to spend time in the presence of God! (Psalm 16:11) tells us what we can expect when this happens for we read: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
To glorify God is not only our greatest obligation as a Christian but it is our greatest privilege. It adds wonderful purpose and meaning to life and pleasures beyond our wildest imagination. So, my advice to new Christians is to get set for the journey of a lifetime and praise God this journey will never end!
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY STORMIE OMARTIAN | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)