“DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD” Thoughts from today’s Bible readings – Feb. 26th
D.Caudery Paul tells the believers in Corinth most, if not all had been idol worshippers that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [1 Cor. 10 v.31] Try to “give no offence”
[v.32]
he tells them. And what is Paul’s aim? “I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (the last verse of ch. 10 & the 1st of ch.11)
We must never seek “glory” or any prestige for ourselves – but this is the opposite to all the attitudes we see around us today with its’ total focus on the present and many live for any “glory” it can bring them.
Wonderfully our Psalm 102 we also read today puts human live in perspective. The Psalmist has been humbled in some way, he says that God “has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days.”
[v.23]
His prayer is “O my God … “take me not away in the midst of my days …”
[v.24]
The Psalmist sees what we might call, ‘the big picture’ of all that exists – so few see this in the non-stop swirl of living today! Do we see it enough?
He says, “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment …”
[v.25,26]
This world is ‘wearing out’ nearly all are blind “to the glory of God” May we, in increasing contrast, live our lives so that “whatever (we) do” we “do all to the glory of God.” We are reading the final chapters in Exodus and see how the people teamed together to make a wonderful tabernacle as the Centre of their devotions to the one true God who had wondrously delivered them from Egypt. We know what failed! We are going to read of their failure to remain faithful to “the glory of God” which they had witnessed in their deliverance from Egypt.
It is vital that we read then – and learn from them! Paul made the vital point, “…whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” [Romans 15 v.4] And the centre of that hope – is to be there when “the glory of God” is evident to the entire world.
