The Wisdom of Reverence and Praise
By Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell (Guest Blogger)
Week 38
Scripture Readings: Psalms 111-113
Key Scripture: Psalm 111:10 (NIV, Life Application Bible)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
This is a psalm for whom scholars have not determined the author. Per the commentary of the NIV Bible, it is one of the “hallelujah psalms.” It is a song of praise. The psalmist praises God’s works, his “glorious and majestic deeds,” and he reminds us that God provides for us, that God is always faithful, that he has provided for our redemption from sin, has graced his people with land and met their needs. All of those who notice the works of the Lord’s creation “delight in them.” And God is compassionate in his love for us.
These are praiseworthy qualities, for sure.
There is no love more pure than that which our God has for us. He is consistent in this love. And his covenant is forever!
Those who are wise are reverent and respect that he is in control. Those who are wise honor him, follow him, and heed his commands. Those who are wise recognize his goodness and his love for them. Those who are wise are thankful and grateful for the abundance of his grace and compassion. Those who are wise read his word. Those who are wise spend time with him in prayer. Those who are wise learn to love in his name. Those who are wise cannot but help to want to praise his holy name.
Praise be to God!
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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