"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" (Isaiah 46:9-10)

During our discussion on the Abrahamic Covenant Sunday night, a point was made that God is for Himself, that is, He acts in a way that puts His own glory as the goal of His actions. Since God being for Himself is foundational to have a deeper understanding of Him, I will further discuss why God can act in such a way.
In the Bible, the term God's glory is simultaneous with the term God's name. The Bible often uses the phrase, "for God's name sake," meaning the same thing as "for God's glory." So when the Bible speaks of something happening for either God's glory or God's name, it infers the event is happening to display the splendor of God's perfect character and attributes.
Since before time existed, God has acted in such a way that He preserves His glory above all else. If God acts in such a way that the preservation of His glory is not "number 1," that would mean He has put something else above His glory; this is idolatry! If God did not whole-heartedly pursue His own glory He would be unrighteous.
From a human perspective, an action could be considered right or righteous if we sacrifice our glory for the glory of someone else. We set at naught our worth in order to esteem the worth of others. It would be wrong to employ the same reasoning to God! God will not, nor cannot, act for the sake of any beneficiary in such a way that demotes His glory below that of the beneficiary.
It is sometimes hard for us to reconcile this, because we think God is selfish in pursuing His own glory. But instead, we should take great comfort in the fact that there is nothing greater for God to delight in--there is nothing greater than God Himself! If God was in some way deficient that He needed to create an entire world with humans to glorify Him to compensate for some imperfection on His part, how could we respond like the psalmist: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea..." (Psalm 46:1,2). We couldn't! Our spirituality would be one of uncertainty, always trying to work for God instead of being at peace because God works for us!
That is why God can work to preserve His glory above all else! If He failed to do this, He would not be God. This does not mean there is nothing else in which God delights. But to understand God more deeply, we must realize that His glory is His primary goal.

Jake