Listen:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17 NIV)
Reflect:
I am a debtor of God’s undeserved grace and indescribable mercy. When I contemplate what He has done in me, my soul screams in praise.
Paul had a compelling reason to offer the King of all the universe the highest honour, praise, and glory. He reviewed his life and contemplated on God’s immense grace. The one who was once the greatest enemy of the Gospel became Christ’s finest servant.
Paul was a blasphemer, an outrageous and violent persecutor of believers, and a scorner of what turned out to be true. Yet, Christ considered Paul to be trustworthy. He appointed Paul and gave him the strength to serve Him.
And Paul knew being appointed to the stewardship of Christ’s ministry was the last thing he deserved. No wonder his heart spilt out with praises and thanksgiving to the One who counted him faithful and worthy.
This doxology is Paul’s grateful response for things so underserved that God gave to prove His love for him. Paul’s experience of undeserved grace elicited praises filled with awe and adoration of the Only Wise God.
Such sudden outbursts of praise to God and spontaneous thankfulness must be the hallmark of Christians who take time to ponder on what God’s grace and mercies have accomplished in their lives.
What touched my heart the most is that Paul never forgot the wonder of God’s choice of him. And neither should we!! His recollection of what he did in ignorance and unbelief heightened his awareness and appreciation of the abundance of God’s mercy and grace towards him.
Another truth worthy of note is that God does not hold our past against us when we are in Christ Jesus. This good news is so liberating and makes me feel like jumping on my feet, hollering Hallelujah with my hands raised to heaven.
Prayer of Response:
We will remember the works of Your hands in our lives, O God. We will stop and give You the highest praise. To You, the King, immortal invisible, the only wise God be glory forever and ever. Amen.
May our past experiences forever deepen our appreciation of Your gracious mercies towards us in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Questions to Ponder:
What about you? How would the knowledge and appreciation of what God’s grace and mercy have accomplished in you inspire you to burst out in spontaneous praise to God today?
—Submitted by Irene Olumese
Irene is a bilateral amputee who speaks and writes to inspire hope. As a certified Faith-Informed Transformational/Trauma Coach, Irene helps those facing adversities go beyond their traumatic experiences and find meaningful purpose. Irene is the Founder of the Feet of Grace Foundation, a charity organisation that provides prosthetic limbs for indigene amputees. She lives in Geneva with her husband, Peter.
Featured image: Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
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