The prayer in Psalm 57 is centered on theGlory of God. The glory of God is virtually impossible to define. In a sense, God’s glory is the magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur of his many perfections. More often, glory communicates God’s special presence, as in the pillars of glory and of fire (Exod. 13:21–22) or the glory that filled the tabernacle (40:34–38). The triune God who is glorious displays his glory, largely through his creation, image-bearers, providence, and redemptive acts. God’s people respond by glorifying him. God receives glory and, through uniting his people to Christ, shares his glory with them—all to his glory. If you would like to know more, check out the latest post on the "Morning Mercies" podcast, now available on all major platforms.
The Daily Psalms are given with the intention to encourage Christians to read and meditate on these scriptures in order to grow in their faith and relationship with God. They are released every Tuesday and Thursday for the following week on all major Podcast platforms. May the Lord bless you as you ponder His Word.
Presented by Michael Mullen
David has been chased into a cave. There he is hiding in order to preserve his life from King Saul. Outwardly, things are desperate and grim. As has been his pattern throughout the Psalms, David prays in such circumstance. Many times he has prayed that those who seek his life receive from God his judgement for persecuting him. At other times he searches his heart and seeks forgiveness for his own sin. Most all of the time he asks God to deliver him from those who seek to hurt him. In Psalm 57 he does this, but then asks God for something different. He prays for the glory of God to be shown through his life, his circumstance, and in all the world.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
Twice this is said, once in the midst of David describing what is being done against him, and once at the end, at the climax of the whole prayer. These locations of this praise makes it clear, hear is the point of it all. God’s glory is the point of it all.
David knew from the scriptures that the ultimate purpose of it all is God’s glory. What does that mean?
The glory of God is virtually impossible to define. In a sense, God’s glory is the magnificence, worth, loveliness, and grandeur of his many perfections. More often, glory communicates God’s special presence, as in the pillars of glory and of fire (Exod. 13:21–22) or the glory that filled the tabernacle (40:34–38). The triune God who is glorious displays his glory, largely through his creation, image-bearers, providence, and redemptive acts. God’s people respond by glorifying him. God receives glory and, through uniting his people to Christ, shares his glory with them—all to his glory.
To see God’s glory is to experience his perfections, character, and attributes in such away that we know with our whole being who God is. The Bible teaches us that all of creation was made and exists for His glory, in other words that his truth, beauty, and goodness would be reflected in the world. Human beings are made to perceive this glory, reflect this glory, and in the end, share in His glory.
When David is praying that the glory of God be manifest throughout the world, he is including his own personal circumstance, and his role in it. It is identical with praying God’s will in a situation, because his will is always for his glory.
I am convinced that in our praying, we struggle with praying too small. We pray and petition God with concerns of comfort, and ease of pain. God hears these prayers, but when we pray for his glory to be seen and made manifest in our circumstance, he delights in answering our requests. And it is his display of his glory where find his presence most acute. And his beauty, truth, and goodness shown forth in our lives. Certainly we were made for such glory.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!