SOAP 10/24/2015; Psalm 70:4

Today's reading: Job 15; Acts 19, 20*

S) "⁴ Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
'Let God be magnified.'"

Psalm 70:4 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Psalm 70

O) This is a short Psalm from David. In it, he asked for hasty deliverance, as men sought his life and delighted in his hurt. But, even though this is such a short Psalm, and David needed help in such an urgent, literal way, he still made time to express this point. In the middle of his calamity, while he was seeking God, and hoping for His salvation, David was still making the whole situation about God's glory. Regardless of the impending doom, David's concern was still that God would receive the honor that is due to Him. As much as I am sure David would like to have been saved, just for the easing of struggle, it also seems he genuinely saw his tribulations as opportunities for God to reveal His glory to the world, and his hope was that God would do just that.

A) Rarely, do I have the presence of mind in the midst of trials, to hope that God's glory is manifested for others to see. I will confess that all too often, when I am seeking God and hoping for His salvation, it's still all about me. So, I must shift my focus, especially in my times of need. That God would be magnified through my life, in my need, must be my ultimate goal. If my suffering is part of His plan to reveal Himself to others, then I should desire to suffer every day. Sure, there can be a conflict of will. After all, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, that His cup be taken from Him. Still, He bent His own will to that of the Father, and denied His original desire to conform to the desire of the Father. In me, I have the power to choose what I will want. My desires do not define me or direct me. So, in the midst of my own tribulation, I may desire reprieve, but I will choose to desire that God is magnified above all else. If my deliverance magnifies Him, hallelujah. If my suffering magnifies Him, hallelujah.

P) Father God, You should be magnified in every part of my life. When I am immersed in Your Word, this is easy to remember. However, all too often I am distracted away, and I forget that my life is not all about me. I even get distracted into thinking my life is all about my kids, or all about my marriage, but it's not. My life should be all about You. My life's ambition should be completely and wholly about magnifying You, God. Let this goal become more and more prevalent in my mind. Help me to think daily, about how I can magnify Your name. In easy times, let me praise You. In hard times, let me praise You. Let me seek You, and rejoice and be glad in You, not because You deliver me, but because I have found You! Never let me lose the joy of simply knowing You, Lord. Be magnified in my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.