“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” Ps. 145:3

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” Ps. 34:3

“But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” Ps. 40:16

“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.” Ps. 18:46

“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” Ps. 29:1-2

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”
Ps. 34:1-3

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.” Ps. 63:3-4

The imperative to magnify the Lord is clear in Scripture. He is certainly deserving of our praise and adoration. Matthew 5 provides additional insight into ways Christians magnify God and bring him glory. Jesus says there we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He follows these up by challenging those listening to his sermon on the mount to, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.” Paul adds in 2 Corinthians 5 that believers are ambassadors for Christ, God’s representation here on earth, and that he is making his appeal through us.”

Anything good we can possibly add to this world is a result of the grace and mercy of God in our lives. If God enables us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked or provide homes for the homeless; if God empowers us to love our enemies or give another our tunic and cloak or walk miles with stranger, then it is to him be all glory and honor and praise. We are weak, sinful, short-sighted people, yet he reconciled us to himself so we could represent him here on earth. What a privilege it is. What a joy. What an honor. What a delight.

So next time we have an opportunity to magnify God in word or deed, we shouldn’t consider how it will make others perceive us or if it might garner for us favor with God, but rather, we ought to talk, think, and act in a manner that demonstrates how great and wonderful God truly is. Showing how great WE are is hollow and empty. Showing the greatness of GOD is substantive and full of life.

Magnify the Lord and not ourselves.