thoughts on the eve of breaking bread

I've just been pondering Paul's doxology at the end of Romans 11. It is so beautiful considering the depth of theology he has just been laying down: "Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been His counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?' For asasdasdfrom and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen." I'm sitting here amazed at the providence of the Almighty. "Who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?" Matt Redman wrote a song about this concept called "Breathing the Breath", on his Facedown record. We have nothing to give That didn't first come from Your hands We have nothing to offer You Which You did not provide Every good, perfect gift comes from Your kind and gracious heart And all we do is give back to You What always has been Yours Lord, we're breathing the breath That You gave us to breathe To worship You, to worship You And we're singing these songs With the very same breath To worship You, to worship You Who has given to You That it should be paid back to him? Who has given to You As if You needed anything? From You, and to You, and through You Come all things, O Lord And all we do is give back to You What always has been Yours We are breathing the breath That You gave us to breathe I love that statement: "And all we do is give back to you what always has been yours". God has never lacked praise. In eternity past He was praised in perfection by His Son, His Spirit and the angels. He made man in His own image to show His dominion and glory all over creation. Tomorrow I'm going to break bread with some of my brothers and sisters. I'm going to remember the One Who gave His life, who asked His Father to "forgive them for they know not what they do" as men killed Him rather than praised Him. I can't wait to be a part of the chorus that rises from the redeemed. I can't wait to fathom the depths of His grace toward me, a renegade, and towards countless others like me. And all praise that arises from this soul is something that does not originate in me nor in me does it find its culmination. It is from Him, through Him and to Him. To Him be glory forever. Amen.