Tuesday, May 24, 2011

His Praise Alone

For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. Ps 75:6-7

The verses prior to these admonish the wicked and boastful against their prideful ways. Knowing that the righteousness of Christ is what creates all goodness that is in me, I realize that I have nothing of my own to boast in. But, I still want to be pleasing. I want to behave in such a way as to commend myself. I want recognition and honor for the things I do.

My problem is that I seek the praise from the east and the west rather than from above. I seek it from men rather than from God. When I seek exaltation from man, I might as well be seeking it “from the desert” for all the good it’s going to do me. Exaltation comes only from God, and only when it works together for His glory.

Refusing to seek exaltation and praise from man is a hard challenge for me. I am a people-pleaser. God has been long shaping and molding me away from that tendency, but it is still there in many ways. I am challenged to continually to actively surrender myself to His molding , turning to Him when I desire praise from man. I hunger for the day when His praise is all that matters!

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