Today’s reading

Psalms 145-147; First Corinthians 11:1-15

Selected Verses

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.  Psalm 146:1-2

All things are from God.  First Corinthians 11:12

Reflections

Those who know God well never lose their focus on Him whether in the pressures of life at its prime or the pain of life at its end. God is always foremost in the hearts and minds of His people.

The psalmist praises God for a host of reasons, but, besides that, he commits himself to keep praising God as long as he lives, as long as he has being. He could say, “to my dying breath.”   Even in a lifetime, one could never exhaust the things for which God deserves praise and adoration. There is no end to His works of creation and providence which reflect His glory. The psalms help us put words to our thoughts and thoughts to our observations. God in the psalms helps us see His hand in more things and proclaim His praise more clearly.

Paul deals with many difficult questions in his letter to the Corinthians. Now he turns to issues related to corporate worship in the church and the proper and distinct roles of men and women in the church. The passage raises as many questions as answers, but one thing is clear, “All things are from God.” Paul has already set this idea before his readers earlier in the letter (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). It is the principle around which he orients his thinking and instruction on the matters they are dealing with.

Think about it

The fact is that the purpose of our existence--as creatures made in God’s image whether male or female--is His glory. We fulfill that purpose in our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and speech.  I have been privileged to know a few fervent disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ who were using their final breath to give Him praise. That is my goal and desire, to praise Him while I have being, to my dying breath. How about you? This is our calling in Christ. Be sure you own it.

© 2017 John A Carroll  Used by permission