There are few truths more countercultural, and more necessary for the church today, than this simple reality: God is a very important person, and He does not like being taken for granted.

In Isaiah 48, the Lord pulls back the curtain and tells us whyHe acts as He does. Writing to a rebellious people facing the consequences of their sin, God declares that He will restrain His anger, refine His people, and ultimately restore them. But the reason He gives is startling. It is not because Israel deserves mercy. It is not because they have learned their lesson. It is not even, first and foremost, because they are His people.

Six times in three verses, God tells us the reason plainly:

“For My name’s sake I defer my anger…
For the sake of My praise I restrain it for you…
For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it…
For how should My name be profaned?
My gloryI will not give to another.” (Isaiah 48:9–11)

God saves for His own sake.

The God-Centeredness of God

This passage highlights something many of us are uncomfortable with: God is radically committed to His own glory. He does what He does ultimately to uphold the worth of His name, the honor of His character, and the supremacy of His glory.

If we are honest, that can feel unsettling. We are taught that self-exaltation is wrong, and it is, for us. But God is not like us. If God were to place anything above Himself, He would be an idolater. There is nothing greater than God. Therefore, for God to glorify Himself is not arrogance; it is righteousness.

In fact, this is the very foundation of grace. God does not defer His anger because sin is insignificant. He defers it because His name is too important to abandon His covenant purposes. Israel’s sin deserved wrath because they failed to live as though God’s name was their greatest treasure. That failure still deserves judgment.

So where does that judgment go?

The Cross and the Vindication of God’s Name

Isaiah answers that question just a few chapters later. The wrath postponed in Isaiah 48 is poured out in Isaiah 53, on a Substitute.

“He was pierced for our transgressions…
the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5)

At the cross, God shows that He does not ignore sin, excuse sin, or take lightly the dishonor of His name. As Paul explains, God put Christ forward “to demonstrate His righteousness… because in His forbearance He had passed over former sins” (Romans 3:25).

The deepest reason for the cross is not merely our worth, but God’s righteousness. God remains just, even as He justifies sinners, because His wrath is satisfied and His glory upheld.

God Is Too Important to Be Assumed

One of the greatest dangers for believers is not outright rebellion, but quiet neglect. We assume God. We mention Him rarely. We speak about life, problems, plans, and priorities as though He “goes without saying.”

But nothing is honored by being taken for granted.

When something, or someone, is truly important, they come to mind. They are acknowledged. They are spoken of. God is not honored when He is assumed. He is honored when He is acknowledged, praised, confessed, loved, treasured, and enjoyed.

Scripture doesn’t say, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be taken for granted.” It says, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.”

Why This Matters for Our Joy

God’s insistence on His own glory is not a burden to us; it is a gift. When God is neglected, everything else becomes distorted and superficial. But when God is central, reality comes into focus.

The wonder of the gospel is that God’s goal to be glorified and our desire to be satisfied are not at odds. As Pastor John Piper has often said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

This is why God does not like being taken for granted, not only because it robs Him of glory, but because it robs us of joy.

A Call to Reverent Acknowledgment

The remedy for taking God for granted is not mere religious effort, but renewed vision. An hour-by-hour savoring of God. A life increasingly marked by reverent speech, grateful prayer, joyful obedience, and heartfelt praise.

May our language be filled with “Praise God,” “Thank You, Lord,” and “To Him be the glory.” Not because we are checking spiritual boxes, but because God truly is central in our hearts.

God is a very important person.
He is worthy of our attention.
He is worthy of our affection.
And as we glorify Him, He graciously satisfies us.

“From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)