“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (I Corinthians 14:40 KJV)
My father took the words of Paul in the opening verse and looked at them from a topical or proverbial perspective, outside of the realm of worship. Let me share with you why I made this statement. You see, at a time when we had no car or the car wouldn’t run, we were not permitted to stay home on Sunday mornings. The six people in my immediate family walked to church, in order. I think we must have given some unidentified onlooker the unique idea of inventing a three seat SUV way back in the day. We marched two by two. Mom and Dad were in the front and of course Dad was where he was supposed to be, on the outside of the line nearest the curve, protecting his wife; a little way and gentlemen way of loving your wife as Christ loved the church. The next couple was my younger brother and sister, followed by my older brother and myself. It was a matter of order.
When we got to the church, we started with Sunday School and then there was worship service. That was a matter of order. The church bulletin, back when they were about 10 pages long, expanded for one reason because of advertisements from local funeral homes in exchanged for those much needed church fans. The bulletin contained a listing of how the service would proceed from the invocation to the benediction. It was a matter of order.
Now when we got home we ate Sunday dinner. On that first day of the week there was no such thing as three meals; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was made clear that the early afternoon meal was DINNER and not lunch or even brunch. Most weeks we had some type of snack in the evening, popcorn, popsicles made in one of those metal ice cube trays, or peanut butter on a petite silver spoon. It was a matter of order. By the way if any of my children are reading this, now you know while I emphasized, and still do even to this day, that the meal after church is DINNER. I’m sorry! It is a matter of order.
God is a God of order. We see it in the creation of the heavens and the earth. We see it in the purpose that God had for Joseph; you know where others meant it for evil, but God meant if for good through the unfolding of Joseph’s story. God is a God of order. We see it in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity. We see it in the crossing of the Jordan River. We see it in the construction of the Temple. We see it in sending His only begotten Son to keep those who would believe from perishing. God is a God of order. We see it in the description of the Rapture. We see it in the words found in The Book of Revelation. As a matter of fact, you can just look at your own life and see how God, the Potter, has been molding you and shaping you, so you can always make progress in regards to being better. God is a God of order. Oh, we could go on, but I’m not preaching right now. Just giving you something to think about in regards to “order.”
Now let’s get personal and speak to you during this Monday moment. Yesterday, you listened to the preached word. Today, you must live out that word in your life. It is a matter of order. Yesterday you praised God in the sanctuary. Today, you must start your week by praising Him by your saintly example and the steps you take, regardless of the situation you face. It is a matter of order. Yesterday, you marveled at how senior citizens communicated their dedication by just being in the assembly of the saints, whether face-to-face or focused via a live streaming service. Today, you must say to yourself as you bring forth images of the elders worshipping, “I want what they have,” referring to a decision to dedicate each day of your life, as long as your breath, to the glory of God. It is a matter of order. I’m going to end the meditation right here, but you will start applying the words on this page right now. Do you want to know why? It is a matter of order. Be blessed!
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23a ESV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King