When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”

—2 Chronicles 7:3

When Solomon’s Temple was consecrated according to God’s instructions, God was pleased to reveal something of His glory. The manifestation of His glory on that day was on a grand scale: Fire came down from Heaven to consume the sacrifices (v.1). God’s glory was demonstrated so dramatically that the priests could not enter the temple (v.2). And the response of God’s people?

They bowed before God, faces on the ground. They worshiped and praised God. And they acknowledged God as being “good,” and that “His mercy endures forever.”

What energizes us about God? We are grateful when He answers our prayers and gives us what we want, and well we should be. But consider this: The supreme reason to bow, worship, and acknowledge both God’s goodness and His eternal mercies is not because of what we are receiving from Him. The supreme reason is His glory.

One of the most important lessons to learn if we would understand God and the gospel is that even our salvation is not about us. It is about His glory. When we see His glory, we know His goodness and His mercy.