Thursday, December 1, 2011

Romans 1: 16-32

I had been visiting churches in Mexico several miles south of Matamoros throughout the day. It was late on a Sunday evening and I had just finishing preaching in the last church for the day. My host took me to the home of one of his parishioners for supper. There was no ambient light and it was very dark. As I looked up into the night sky I was overwhelmed with the beauty, the majesty of countless thousands of stars. My host immediately began quoting Psalm 8:3,

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—“

Paul is teaching us that the beauty of God the Creator is all around us and the wonder of creation is sufficient to invoke a response of thankfulness. Nevertheless, there are some who hold onto their self-centeredness and worship the created instead of the Creator.

In verses 16-17 Paul affirms that God has made himself known in Jesus the Messiah whose faithfulness if fulfilling God’s promises makes it possible for all people to come into a right relationship with God the Creator, God the Father. My faith in the faithfulness of Jesus opens the door for me to embrace with joy verses 4-5 of Psalm 8:

“what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.”

What is there left to say?

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

What word or phrase in these verses
attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word or phrase.
What insights come to you?
How does this passage touch your life today?

2-Dec-11      Rom. 2:1-16

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