Glorifying

Psalm 34:3, 8 (ESV)

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

    and let us exalt his name together!

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

I read a story about a dear saint that was looking forward to her 100th birthday. Deafness made it challenging to communicate, but her radiant smile invited her Pastor’s best efforts. She reported, “Pastor, I can’t hear, but I can read and I can eat.” When he suggested that Psalm 34 might be one of her favorites, she broke into a wide smile and quoted, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Glorifying our Creator is a great privilege that God has given us. But doesn’t that keep him at arm’s length? God is high and lifted up! We, the creatures of his hands, are far different from the almighty, all-knowing God. Even so, we long to be in relationship with him.

The psalmist refuses to think that God’s glory puts him at an unapproachable distance. He speaks at the same time of both glorifying and enjoying God. Enjoying God speaks of closeness and intimacy. We are invited to glorify the Lord and yet also to taste his goodness.

So we live in a holy tension with God. Never so distant as to avoid intimacy, never so close as to lose our sense of awe, we both glorify and enjoy our God— because God himself comes to be present with us.

The church tells us that the very purpose of our lives is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Standing in awe of the God who loves us only increases our enjoyment of his goodness to us.

Dear Lord, You are indeed high and lifted up, Your glory fills the place of Your dwelling. Thank You for becoming so real and close to us that we can enjoy You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.