1 CORINTHIANS 8:5-6 – “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE BLESSINGS OF A DEPENDENT LIFE. The words “whom are all things” and “whom we exist” appear twice in this short portion of chapter eight in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Its repetition is for emphasis and there are two themes in today’s scripture identified by these two phrases.
First, God created all things and sustains all things for His sake. The opening of our Bible reads, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis1:1). It doesn’t read, In the beginning man created. The center of creation and the priority of creation is God, not man. And our culture does not and will not accept this truth. We live in a self-centered, man exalting, and God denying world that wants nothing to do with a majestic, holy, and authoritative Creator as the center of everything and everyone. One of the most beautiful doxologies in the Bible appears at the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans and places before us why everything exists and it isn’t for man.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).
The second theme in today’s scripture is our dependency upon God, not partially, but entirely. Remember, man was in harmony with God before our first parents sinned against Him in the Garden of Eden. That harmony existed in the wonderful relationship of man living dependent on God. Sin brought the spirit of independence into our world and with such a rebellious spirit, human misery. We find our greatest joy, source of happiness, and contentment in the life of dependency upon our God. It is why we exist and the scriptures state so in Colossians . . .
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17).
What makes the dependent-on-God life such a blessing is that God delights in such dependency by His children. We get to experience His kindness, grace, faithfulness, goodness, protection, provision, and the list goes on and on and on of all God is to us and does for us. He is truly the God of all grace, and a life of dependence is a life fulfilling a chief reason for our existence – God’s glory by our dependency on Him!
PRAYER: Father, I praise You for granting me life and teaching me how to walk dependent upon You in life.
REFLECTION: A life of dependency on God is the definition of the true meaning in life, and it is a dependency of love.