Verse of the Day - Romans 11:36

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!
~ Romans 11:36 (NIV)

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Friday night before worship team practice, I was sitting on the couch, and my eye caught a piece of artwork on the mantel that my son had made for me. On it is a verse . . . "Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song." (Psalm 95:2) And the phrase "extol Him" jumped out at me...

To extol means to "praise highly, to glorify, lift up, exalt". And that reminder on Friday night caused me to pause and think about what I should be getting ready to do at practice . . . extol Him. Lift Him up, glorify Him, exalt Him. But, alas, self got in the way, as she often does, and my focus was not so much about extolling Him through my music, but the technical issues and such. Someone asked me after rehearsal if I was all right, that I seemed a little "short", and I said I was fine, that it was just this-and-that. But later, I reflected that I should not excuse that behavior -- my focus was not on the Lord, and it was easily detected. Ouch.

"For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!"

How often is our desire in attending worship services or serving the Lord centered around ourselves, in what we can get out of it? How often are we "doing" for the Lord on our own, without seeking His power?

He is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the King. Everything comes from Him, everything continues because of Him, and everything focuses toward Him. So the question is: Are we in line with this godly perspective, or are we running on self? What is our motivation for service, for living -- God or ourselves?

God brought this to my attention on Friday, and I'm glad for today's verse, to remind me again of where my head needs to be at today as I go to worship service. But not only at church . . . every day, I need to elevate Him in my heart and mind as everything in everything . . . all in all.

He is worthy of being lifted up, of being highly praised, of being glorified, amen?!? I pray we will strive to make and keep Him our ultimate priority in everything we do and say.