Thursday 12 April 2018

Psalm: Psalm 37:30-40

Background

The letter to the Romans is often referred to as the ‘Christian rule book’ or the book to read if you want to know the meaning of life. The apostle Paul was planning to visit the Roman church, but before he did, he wrote to them to explain his beliefs in the hope that they would reflect on their own Christian faith before he arrived. Good idea, right?

In verse 7 we are told to “patiently do[ing] good seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life”. This means that everything we do, say, or, do, should always be Christlike, and when these things contribute to the building of God’s kingdom then we should give all praise and glory to God.

In verse 8, we are told that there’ll be “wrath and fury” “for those who are self-seeking and who obey … wickedness” Why might Paul be saying this? The original listeners were being selfish and refusing to follow the truth so Paul needed to warn them – he had to be strict – to have authority as an apostle – remember the letter went before him before he travelled to Rome.

When we do things in church, we should not boast but give God all the praise. Often, if I speak to worship leaders after a service and I say, “You sang so beautifully”, they often reply, “It’s not me, it’s God. God gets all the glory.” This behaviour also reminds me of some acceptance speeches you get at award ceremonies where people tend to thank God first. One singer who recently gave God the glory in their acceptance speech was Stormzy, a grime rapper from South London, when his album, Gangs, Signs and Prayer won Best Album at The 2018 Brit Awards.

Living to God’s glory can mean different things to different people. But what if we consider it to mean an unpacking of our motives to do certain things in the name of the Lord. Are these things bringing souls to the kingdom here on earth?

To Ponder

• What does it mean for you to live for God’s glory?
• When was the last time you said thank you to God? Try writing a thank you letter to God. What would you put in it?
• Listen to Let Your living water flow over my soul.
• Pray that you may always live to God’s glory.