Psalm 115 is an appeal to God who, at the time of the composition of this psalm, evidently seemed absent from his people. The nations are mocking Israel for God’s seeming absence. This is a very common theme in the psalms. There is always this concern that if God fails to act the nations will blaspheme his name (3:2; 22:8; 42:3; 71:11; 79:10). Ancient peoples believed that victory in battle proved the supremacy of their gods over that of the vanquished people. So, warfare was often a matter of divine self-vindication. The prayers in the psalter, therefore, are often primarily concerned with God’s ‘name’. The highest appeal in the supplications of the psalms is an appeal to God’s glory. The psalmist wants God to act in the present so that the nations would know that he is God and that there is none besides him. There is something supremely liberating about that desire. Imagine facing every situation and caring only that God be glorified. In this desire to see God exalted we would ourselves become transparent vessels of that glory. That is what we were created for: To contain and reflect God’s image. So much concern and energy can be expended on fabricating our own sense of identity and this identity only becomes a cocoon within which our soul suffocates. But when we become transparent reflectors of God’s glory we are filled with his light and the warmth of his love and this is the most enjoyable experience in life. This is our chief end: to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Pray that God would be glorified in your circumstances.
Read Psalm 115
