We . . . I . . . do have a way of making it all about us . . . me. And I get why. The gospel is such good news and has had such a huge impact on the life of the believer that it’s hard not to sit back in awe of the blessings we have been graced to receive. I was going there this morning as I spent some extended time in Ezekiel this morning amazed at God’s pursuit of Israel and, by application, His pursuit of me.

God calls out the unfaithful shepherds of Israel and then says, “I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out . . . I will rescue them . . . I myself will be their shepherd . . . I will seek the lost” (34:15-16). When He has gathered the sheep, the Lord GOD then determines to reconstitute the sheep . . . after cleansing them with clean water, He determines to give them a new heart and a new spirit . . . to remove their hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh . . . to put His Spirit within them . . . so that “you shall be My people, and I will be your God” (36:22-28). He also declares that He will take those who once were like dry bones and remake them . . . breathing life into them . . . placing His Spirit within born again dead people (37:1-14). He then covenants to save them from their backsliding and to set a king over them who will shepherd them . . . through whom He says He will establish an everlasting promise of peace (37:23b-26).

How blessed is Israel to be? How blessed am I? But wait . . . it ain’t about me!!!

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name . . . (Ezekiel 36:22 ESV)

To be sure, I am a recipient of grace . . . I am a benefactor of His unmerited favor . . . but let me not think that it’s about me. God has determined to act for the sake of His holy name. God has sought and saved so that He might be known. The wonder of the gift should not supplant the wonder due the Giver. Amazing grace should lead to awe-inspired worship.

Seems to me that if we . . . I . . . get too fixed on the blessings, then I run the danger of starting to think that somehow I deserved them . . . that I did something right. If I become locked on the benefits I enjoy as a child of God, I might start to measure God’s goodness by how good things are for me right now. Instead, I need to be reminded that I God has acted for the sake of His Name . . . that it might be exalted . . . that it might lifted up . . . and that the redemption I’ve known . . . and the restoration I’m experiencing . . . and the resurrection I’m anticipating . . . are all about glorifying that altogether wonderful Name.

Mine is to live for the glory of that Name. Mine is to praise Him for His benefits not because of what they do for me but because of what they say about Him. That He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps. 103:8).

To be sure, I . . . we, as believers . . . have been blessed . . . blessed “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). We have been chosen by a Shepherd seeking lost sheep . . . we have been spiritually reconstituted “that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4) . . . we have been made His people by “adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:5). But it’s not about us . . . me. It is all “to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

It is ALL to the praise of His glorious grace.

O’ may the redeemed lift up the Name of the Redeemer . . . may the blessed bless the Blessor . . .

Bless the LORD, O you His angels,
   you mighty ones who do His word,
   obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all His hosts,
   His ministers, who do His will!
Bless the LORD, all His works,
   in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!     (Psalm 103:20-22 ESV)