Bring Glory to God and Enjoy Him Very Much

 Read Proverbs 25

In the creation itself is evidence of the Creator.  Those with eyes to see will seek him and as we grow, we will seek not only God but his kingdom and his righteousness. 

You must have eyes to see the glory of God in the evidence that he has given you.  Much of the world is blind to what God has done to reveal himself to us.  Much of the world is not seeking his kingdom and his righteousness and the glory of God is concealed from them.

Why did Jesus speak in parables?

To those who were seeking God, seeking the truth, seeking his righteousness, they would understand.  The godless world would remain lost in its self-righteousness. It is God’s to conceal or reveal.  It is ours to seek the truth. The proverb says this:

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Solomon gives the example of kings searching for the truth.  That was their privilege in that time.  It is our calling now. Seek the truth.

Solomon called the hearts of kings deep places that cannot be searched.  We do not always know what is in the heart of those appointed to govern us, but we can find what is in our own hearts.  God through his wisdom and his Spirit, often speaks to our hearts. God’s word judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Solomon has previously noted that it is difficult for us to understand our own understanding.  There is mystery in life and revelation in seeking God.

The real answers to what lies within us depends upon the things for which we search.  Are they the things of God?

We are to write God’s words on our hearts.  His Spirit lives within us and communicates to God the Father when we can’t find the worlds.  Will we listen to his Spirit as he guides us in the ways of God?

We want to understand everything but Solomon’s wisdom tells us that we can’t.  In fact, do we fully understand what we think we understand?  So, what are we to do?

Trust God.

Seek God.

Seek the truth.

Seek his wisdom.

Seek his kingdom.

Seek his righteousness.

Strive to live in his ways.

Do not concede to our own understanding.

Do not be deceived by the foolishness of the world.

What is our relationship?

Know that the Lord is God.  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Be still and know that he is God.  Be in his presence.  Enjoy the relationship.

What is our purpose?  In the earlier documents of the Reformed Tradition, the answer to this question was probably very provocative at the time it was written.  For those who have been seeking God for some time, it may hit dead center of the target.

What was the answer to the purpose of humankind?

To glorify God and to enjoy him forever.  Enjoy God?  Yes!  We bring glory to his name and we enjoy the relationship.

The more that we received what God has revealed to us, the more we draw close to him and glorify his name, and the more we enjoy the relationship.

The prophet Isaiah was sent to the people of Israel not so much to save them from what was coming but to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, which would be centuries in the future.

But when Jesus came, he told his disciples that what Isaiah had said had come to pass.

Though seeing, they do not see;

    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Then he told his disciples that they were blessed for they had eyes to see what God was revealing.

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.  For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Consider now the first saying of this chapter in the context of having eyes to see.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

To search out a matter is our glory in our time.  To seek God and his purpose for us and to live by the charge and commission that he has given us is our calling and purpose.

And by the way, we are to enjoy God every step of the way.  We are to enjoy our relationship with God.

We have been given eyes to see and ears to hear and we should count ourselves as blessed for the prophets longed to have what we have. Do we really understand how blessed we are?

Do we understand how much of the story of God and his relationship to us has been revealed to us?  We are not blind.  We are not deaf.

When we call, God has already answered.

We know the story of God’s love in his holy word, in his prophets, in his Word made flesh, and in his own Spirit that lives within us.  We have eyes that see and ears that hear, and a heart that seeks and searches for God and his truth and his wisdom.

We are known by our love.  Everything that God has done with us has taken us to this point where we love him and each other with everything we are and everything we have.

We are fully convinced of God’s love and his purpose for our lives.  Doubt is not an issue.  We know without a doubt that we are to be known by our love.

God loves us more than we can realize and we are to bring glory to his name.

Live to fulfill your commission and to help lift the blindness of this age.

Take to heart all that God has revealed to us.  Seek him more and more.  Grow in his grace and enjoy him very much.

Bring glory to God.

Grow in his grace.

Enjoy him very much.

Amen.