November 20
November 20
As a child of God, you have a reason to give endless praise. What is your daily doxology?
What is a doxology? The word is a combination of two Greek words: doxa, which means “glory,” and logos, which means “word.” A doxology is a hymn or a statement of praise. To pronounce a doxology is literally to give something glory by words. It is inarguable that human beings have a glory orientation. All of us are magnetized by things that we find glorious. For some of us that may be a fantastic meal or a well-written novel. For others it could be an exciting athletic contest or simply a good night’s sleep. God has oriented us toward glory to drive us to worship him. Nothing in the universe is more glorious than Almighty God. He is the definition of glorious; he has all glory in and of himself and is glorious all of the time and in every way. And his glory is reflected in the glory of the things he has created. Flowers, sunsets, birds, mountains, seas, lions, and mighty storms are glorious because the one who made them is glorious.
Because you are oriented toward glory, you are doxological. You will speak and sing of glory. You will utter words of praise. You will tell of what has captured your awe. With passion and excitement you will share your glory experiences with others, encouraging them to experience those glories as well. You will hunt for glorious things, and, when you find them, doxologies will come out of your mouth. Who or what has captured the doxologies of your heart and mouth? What most often captures your glory attention, your glory excitement, and your glory praise? Who or what owns your daily doxologies? No, I’m not talking about Sunday morning, when Godward doxologies are drawn out of you by those who lead you in worship. I’m talking about your Tuesday and Wednesday doxologies. I’m talking about your doxologies on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. What gets your praise?
After an extensive discussion of God’s electing mercies in Romans, the apostle Paul breaks into one of the most beautiful doxologies in all of Scripture:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33–36)
It is right to celebrate the gift of glorious created things, but these things must not dominate our daily doxologies. May our daily doxologies be captured by the glory of the Lord and his glorious grace. May all other doxologies give way to the praise of him, because it really is true that “from him and through him and to him are all things.”