His Name Will Be Glorified

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. [Ezekiel 36.22-24]

This is a little depressing. God said He would end Israel's captivity not because they deserve it but because He intends to protect the honor of His own name.

Not that it's bad that God would defend His own name, but it is a shame that Israel would be so impotent in its devotion to Him! After all God's effort in relating to His people, they still remained hard-hearted and idolatrous.

Here we see both the nature of God and the nature of man: God is good and is faithful to His own name when His people are not good and are unfaithful.

So here is the deal: we should see from this that God's glory and His Kingdom are His priority. We can either join in His glory and Kingdom or not - but His name will be glorified!

Father, I want to work with Your glory and Your Kingdom! Please forgive me for reverting to self-centeredness! Help me as I try to make my devotion more about You and less about me.