What Do You Exalt?

“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” – Psalm 138:2

What is that one thing you hold so very dear to your heart? You know, the thing you go out of your way to ensure is properly cared for or displayed well. For some people, it is their car. They wash and wax their car, and cover it up in bad weather. They show off their car any chance they can get. For others, it is a creature of some sort. They primp their beloved pet in hopes of showing the world the beauty of their furry friend. For some it is their children: making sure they are in the right school, have the right clothes, and are in the right after-school activities is a high priority. How do you know when you exalt cars, pets, or children above all things? When do they dominate your thoughts, your conversations, your time, and your money? Schedules change, and life is planned around what we exalt. When we look at life it is through a lens that is colored by the things we exalt. The things we exalt have captured our heart and our affections, and we can’t imagine life without them.

First and foremost, God exalts God. This may seem strange, but God is perfect, just, loving, and merciful; it is only fitting that a perfect God exalts that which is perfect, namely himself. God's self-exaltation brings glory to him and grace to us. How? Above all the Father exalts his eternal Son, the Word, Jesus Christ. The Father takes delight in the Son as he exalts his name. It is in the Son we find grace and share in the divine exaltation lavished upon the Father to the Son. It is in the clutches of the Son we experience the steadfast love we so desire and have looked for, to no avail, in so many people and things. It is in the Son we experience the faithfulness of God as he fills us with his Holy Spirit, thus sealing his promise to those that have put their faith in the Son. God in his loving-kindness gives us comforts upon this earth which are in and of themselves good. However, they are never meant to take the exalted, rightful place in our hearts which is reserved for Him.

What dominates your conversations, your thoughts, your time? What color is your lens? Whom do you exalt?