The king shall rejoice in God; everyone who swears by Him shall glory. But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. (Psalm 63:11)
There is a truth, validated time after time in Scripture, that should cause the righteous to hope and the wicked to consider their ways. Though God suffers long with man, He will eventually reward everyone for their deeds, whether for good or for evil. Those, like David, who suffer at the hands of liars, conspirators and men who incite others to act wickedly will be vindicated. In the end, the innocent will rejoice. However, those responsible for the oppression of the righteous will be stopped, silenced and humbled, and most likely, not in the most pleasant manner. In both scenarios, God will receive glory.
Before the people of Israel were released from their Egyptian bondage, God told Moses that when all was said and done, everyone would know that “I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians” (Exodus 6:7). No one — whether Egyptian or Hebrew — would doubt that the hand of God had performed all the great and mighty works that led to Israel’s deliverance. Later, when Pharaoh pursued Israel into the wilderness, consequently falling into the trap that had been set for him, God said to Moses, “I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 14:4). Again, the point is that when God silences the wicked and delivers the righteous, everyone gives glory to God.
Of course, this is not the only way God receives glory; and I would dare say that it is not the most desirable way, from God’s point of view, to receive it. It seems to me that He would much rather that all men, of their own volition, give Him the honor that He is due without Him compelling them to do so. For instance, when His people produce righteous fruit in their lives — so much so that others see our good works — we bestow honor upon God and He is glorified before all men. And so, those who profess His Name should not wait until tomorrow to do what we know to be right — each day, let us give Him glory. In the end, all humanity will humble themselves before the Almighty, as it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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