Devotional Thoughts

1 Corinthians 11:12-13    “For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?” As we are considering this subject, of necessity, a few verses at a time we might find it easy to lose sight of Paul’s original focus when this chapter starts. Paul’s obvious intent is to commend us to following Christ and honoring Him as our Head. No man or woman has any authority over our relationship with our Lord and Savior. We need no mediator between us and Jesus and He is the only mediator between God and man (1Ti 2:5). It is often easy to become disgruntled with our lot in life. We either do not have the respect we feel we deserve or else more is required of us than anyone else around us. Others either demand too much of us, or else no one truly values our ideas and abilities. We often desire more responsibility, and then when we get it we want less responsibility. Women often fe...

Psalm 119:41-42    "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word.  (42)  So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word." Noah built a boat in the middle of the desert. Moses heard the voice of the Lord from a burning bush. Gideon defeated hundreds of thousands of the Midianite army with only 300 men holding trumpets and lanterns. David faced a giant by the name of Goliath. Peter walked on water. Saul was overtaken by the presence of the Lord Jesus as he traveled to Damascus. Paul shook the serpent off his hand.  Do you ever read God's Word and wonder if those things could still happen? The answer is yes, God speaks to us and deals with us every day of our lives. Does He call us to build a ship, strike a rock, break a lantern in the darkness, defeat a giant, or any of those other wonderful works of which we read? I doubt any of us have experienced exactly those things, but what God doe...

1 Corinthians 11:8-10    “For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” As we consider these scriptures, we cannot lose sight of the focus of Paul’s instruction; that we should be followers of Christ (1Co 11:1). He gives us instruction of how that we are to behave ourselves in the worship of God. In order to truly worship Him, our attention must be on Christ and His church. Regardless of the “natural” order of things, nothing supersedes our need for, and devotion to, Him. Paul’s instruction was to be sure that we see Christ. The man should have his head, which is Christ, uncovered . Nothing or no one should overshadow the influence of Christ. The woman should have her head, which is the man, covered . Even her husban...

1 Corinthians 11:5-7    “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.” Before we begin any discussion of these verses, we need to be reminded of what is ultimately under consideration. In verse three of this chapter, Paul says “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” We must not lose sight of Christ in the discussion of this or any other scripture. Although it is often socially unacceptable in this day and time, the word of God established an order to things. Over the years, the male gender has abused this order and in return ...