"Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name." Psalm 79:9
In church, we hear a lot about the forgiveness of our sins, but not as often about our sins being forgiven for the glory of God. Yet, when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, the first thing He told them to pray for was that God’s name would be kept holy. That challenges me beyond my natural inclinations. My instinct is to want forgiveness simply because I need it—not necessarily because it brings honor to God's name.
But isn’t this our greatest need? Not just to be forgiven, but to see God for who He truly is? The world desperately needs for God to be known and His glory to be revealed.
Think about how dangerous it is when something is mistaken for something else. A lifeguard ignoring a drowning person because they assume they're just playing. A mislabeled chemical causing harm because it's used incorrectly. A pilot misreading instruments and steering a plane off course. Even in everyday life, misjudging a person’s character can lead to broken trust or missed opportunities. If these kinds of mistakes can have serious consequences, how much more does it matter that we see God rightly?
Habakkuk 2:14 speaks of “the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”. I love that God’s Word stretches me beyond myself, reminding me that even my own salvation extends far beyond my personal need, but the need for God to be seen and revealed for the glorious and holy God that He is.