Lots of people know the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Fewer know the last verse of that book: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” But how about the middle verse of the Bible?
Well, there are 31,102 verses, so the middle would be made up of two verses: Psalm 103:1-2. “Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
Wow, that’s the center of the Bible!
In football and basketball, there’s one who plays “center.” There’s a baseball player who’s in “center” field. Actors go to “center” stage. I’ve just come to the realization these middle verses of the Bible focus on the “center” of one’s relationship with God.
A believer’s life needs to rotate around praising God and remembering all the benefits that come from having a personal relationship with him. It seems to me everything else naturally springs from that. Worship, evangelism, and daily living for God and our fellow human beings are all results of our appreciation of God and what he’s doing in our lives!
Each believer needs to find a group of other believers who center their lives around God!
“To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
So loved He the world that He gave us His son.
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!
–Fanny J. Crosby, 1875
Bruce Henderson is minister of Airport Road Church of Christ, www.carsoncitychurchofchrist.com.