How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘Jesus’

130) Offer Ourselves Unto the Lord

Day 130 reading: Psalms, chapters 50, 53, 60 & 75

Psalm 50 opens with a reminder that all already belongs to the Lord. He needs nothing. But when we offer ourselves and our material riches up to Him, its not out of His need to receive but our need to give.

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and this shalt glorify me. (50:14-15, KJV)

And the line that stands out above all. The line that punches me right in the gut:

“You thought that I was just like you.” (50:21, NASB)

It is so easy to make God, the Lord of Heavens and Earth, Creator of all, just another pal. There’s a comic strip that I’ve seen circulating lately aptly called, “Coffee With Jesus.” I love it because so much of it focuses on remembering that He was man, but also God…Here’s the link  just in case you need a reminder in the form of a giggle: 
http://radiofreebabylon.com/Comics/CoffeeWithJesus.php

USA flag

My King James Bible titles Psalms 60 “Prayer for National Deliverance” which strikes me more today than it likely would have even five or ten years ago. Now, more than ever, we are in need of national and world-wide deliverance. He is able. He is the only one who is able.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 131 reading: 2 Samuel, chapter 10; 1 Chronicles, chapter 19; Psalms, chapter 20

Dear Lord, Please look down from heaven and see all those who adore you. You seek our understanding and our longing, (from 53:2, NASB) Lord, and I pray you see that in each of us. Lord, please bless our studies with understanding and our actions with your purpose. It is in your holy have I pray. Amen.

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Creation, Prayer, Psalms, Seeing God

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115) Because the Battle was God’s

Day 115 reading: 1 Chronicles, chapters 3-5summer morning path

God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. (5:20, NIV)

Whether on a small or large scale, we wage wars daily. The Word gives up so many examples of calling out to Him and winning the battles of life. We have the greatest ally there is in Him and His army of angels fighting for us and protecting us every moment. That is nothing short of phenomenal.

On my personal walk with God, I am reminded daily that on my own I cannot live up to the standards I feel are worthy of our Lord, or our Savior’s sacrifice. I stumble–some days a little and some days a lot. Some days I stumble over my own self and pride that I fall flat on my face. In those days I am especially grateful that as much as the falls hurt, Jesus Christ bore all of the pain I should be feeling on Himself, because He knew I could not handle it all.

When I fall, I remember the battle was God’s (5:22, NIV) and that allows me to brush myself off and get back to my feet. I am not walking alone.

When we are truly humbled in the face of God, we cry out as Jabez did in his now infamous prayer that is still very much worth repeating daily:

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hands be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” AND GOD GRANTED HIS REQUEST. (4:10, NIV)

Praise be to the Lord God Almighty.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 116 reading: Psalms, chapters 73, 77-78

Category:

1 Chronicles, Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Forgiveness, Healing, Hope, Perseverance, Prayer, Seeing God, Trust

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102) Without Him, I Am Nothing

My friends, I have to admit something to you: I am writing right now to avoid watching a doomsday movie with my man. Steve is watching 2012. I tried to sit through it, but just couldn’t. I’m a little Pollyannaish, I suppose, but that’s mighty fine with me. I know the world as we know it will come to an end in the Lord’s time, but I do not want to plan for it or fear it. Period. I don’t want to watch movies about it. I don’t want to hear news speculations or sermons on the subject. I want to do my human best to live as God teaches us to live and know that when the time comes to call me home, I will be ready.

I just had to get that off my chest…because I can still hear the crashing and screams of the TV screen from five rooms away and it kind of makes me want to crawl out of my skin.

Day 102  reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 15-17

kings crownThen the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. (15:10-11, NASB)

I always find it interesting when our Lord and Creator goes the human route. He knows all, foresees all, and has since before any of us were even created, yet He says He regrets making Saul the leader of His people. They asked for a king because He wasn’t enough in their eyes, and they got what they asked for. He knew all along how things were going to turn out, yet He allowed it to happen.

So many times I have thought, ‘Lord, you won’t regret freeing me. I’m going to do all you want me to do and then some.’ Then what happens? I slip. I slip and slip again and every time I get back up with the Lord’s grace and often times I make more promises. How many times can we slip up and be rescued by Him before we actually make a difference in our own lives to truly serve Him and not slip any more? Is it possible to live a slip-free existence from this day forward? Jesus Christ was the only perfect human; all the rest of us are severely flawed. Thank God for His grace that covers us, but can’t we really start to put forth an effort right now, right this second? YES! I do not want the Lord to regret putting me in the position He has, and I don’t want that for any of you, either. Let Him use you, and put everything you have into fulfilling the job He has given you.

Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” (15:17-21, NIV)

How often do we do what we think God wants us to do, but end up really fulfilling our human versions of the Lord’s wishes for our lives? How often do we follow the path He has laid before us so clearly, but as we reach the end, we begin to stray a little bit for our own human gain? How often do we keep the choice plunder instead of fully destroying it all, like we are told? How like Saul are we, really?

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (16:7, NIV)

I DO NOT WANT MY CHRISTIAN WALK TO BE ONE OF SHOW, BUT OF HEART.

I DO NOT STUDY AND CONTEMPLATE AND WRITE AND CORRESPOND WITH YOU FOR APPEARANCES, BUT WITH PRAYERS TO REACH YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN.

I AM NOT A GREAT SPEAKER, BUT I HAVE A GOD-GIVEN PASSION FOR WRITING AND FOR STUDY, SO THIS IS THE WAY I GET MY PASSION OUT TO YOU.

I LOVE THE LORD AND I PRAY HE SEES IN MY HEART AND IN YOUR HEART A REFLECTION OF HIS LOVE.

WITHOUT HIM, I AM NOTHING.

Part of me hates to close this posting without discussing David and Goliath, but we all know it and I feel it best for each of us to contemplate His love for each of us and the ways we are each living today. Is it reflecting Him all of the time, some of the time, only when other’s are present, or absolutely never? I cannot be satisfied with my human life if I am not fulfilling the most important of my duties to Him, which is to reflect His love for the world.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 103 reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 18-20 & Psalms, chapters 11 and 59

Category:

1 Samuel, Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Quiet time, Rules worth LIVING by, Seeing God, Service, Trust

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76) A Picture of NOT Being Saved by Grace

wpid-1818791899502180180.jpgDay 76 reading: Deuteronomy, chapters 17-20

Imagine with me for a moment how life would be if we didn’t have the grace of Jesus Christ to save us. If we were still taken to the gates of the city when we had done wrong against God, and were stoned to death on the spot. Imagine that time you disrespected your parents, wished you had something that belongs to a friend, or took something that wasn’t yours–either knowingly or unknowingly–and imagine that day was your last. Imagine if the Jodi Arias’, Oscar Pistorius’, and Casey Anthonys of our time did not stand trial at all, but stoned to death right on the spot. Imagine if those who studied or followed other religions or cultural norms outside of Christianity–even the peaceful, loving greats who I personally enjoy also studying like the Dalai Lama or Gandhi–were faced with this peril.

“If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns of the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant, and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or to the moon or the stars of the sky, and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.” (17:2-5, NIV)

How would our lives be different if we lived by this set of rules? “You must purge the evil from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and  be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (19:19-21, NIV)  Would we be more obedient to the Word of God? Would we live our lives out in a more caring way? Would we be more forgiving of others or less? What do you think would be the biggest change in our culture and how it has evolved if we lived by these laws still?

Imagine if that girl from Florida who disrespected the judge was immediately put to death instead of 30 more days in jail? As it is written in today’s reading, “The man who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the Lord your God must be put to death.” (17:12, NIV)

Also, imagine if the kings of our land–in our case, the government–must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold” (17:17, NIV). This takes us back to our Day 75 discussion over debt and the rich getting richer while the poor continue in a downward spiral of debt.  If those who govern us were less focused on the monetary gains, and more focused on the people and the land, imagine how that would change society and government. “[The law of God] is to be with [the king--or the president, in our case], and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.” (17:19-20, NIV) Imagine that!

What if our priests and pastors and church elders and leaders didn’t drive the nice cars or live in the big houses on the hill? What if this still held true across the board, that “They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.” (18:2, NIV) 

This may be the breaking point for some reading, but hear this before you decide to dislike what I’m saying here: My point in all of this is that we ALL fall short of the Kingdom of God, which is why this study of the rules is so critical. With this full understanding of how different life would be if we weren’t saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. “You must be blameless before the Lord your God” (18:13, NIV)–That’s a LOT to live up to!

With or without the grace we now live under, we must protect ourselves continually against evil notions of our own, and from those outside of ourselves. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.” (20:18, NIV)

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 77 reading: Deuteronomy, chapters 21-23

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Deuteronomy, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness

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66) His Lordship is Everything!

Today’s scripture passage: Numbers, chapters 28-30

Friends, as much as I am thoroughly enjoying this chronological journey through the Bible, can I just be honest? All of these rules and offerings and obligations make me even more thankful than I was 66 days ago that we are saved by grace and have our Savior to thank!

We are human! We fail daily, if not hourly!Fredericksburg TX sunrise

I realize Jesus did not give us a free pass to sin, or to live life however the world guides us, but He did free us from all of the things we are reading through today in the book of Numbers. Thanks so Him, there is but one commandment: “To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)

So, as I am reading through Numbers (and Leviticus, and Exodus, and Genesis…) about all of the rules the Lord put forth for His chosen people to follow, I am ever thankful that I don’t have to live up to that legalistic relationship with God every day. I have all the love in the world for our Lord, but the morning offerings, and evening offerings, and sin offerings, and grain offerings, and wave offerings, and peace offerings, and burnt offerings, and drink offerings.

Instead, you and I are the offering. We offer ourselves to the Lord, our God, the Great I AM. And, do you want to know the best part, my friends? He takes us just as we are! The lambs and the bulls and the rams could have no defect, but our Lord knows we are full of defects and there is no greater healer than the Master Physician to bind up our wounds and heal us from the inside out.

As this is our first and foremost point in living, to love the Lord with all we have to offer, “This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.” (30:2, NIV)

Our only purpose on earth, the primary reason we are here, is to love Him and share that love with others. The moment we offer ourselves to Him, that puts us in an entirely new category, defects and all. He loves us as we are and accepts us as He knows us better than we know ourselves, but when we make the vow to Him to love Him above all others, He expects us to hold up our end of the bargain.

His Lordship is everything in our lives. Without His guidance and protection, we are completely alone and in grave danger. How many times, though, do we allow life, people, and circumstances to take precedence over Him. How often do we know we need to be working on our Bible study lesson, but think you’ll just check one more thing on Facebook. Or when you should go to bed so you can get up a few minutes early for some quiet prayer time and watch the beautiful sunrise with Abba, our Father, but we stay up too late watching television and sleep through our alarm clocks the next morning? How out of whack are we humans? I can only speak for myself, but I need constant reminders to keep Him in His proper place: front and center!

This is why we are here, though. This is why we are together on this journey. I am so thankful for you, friends. Thank you for joining me.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 67 reading: Numbers, chapters 31-32

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Numbers, Quiet time, Seeing God

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It’s Not About ME!

Spoiler Alert: its not about you, either.

Life seems a little overwhelming at times. There is so much for us to do. So many people depending on us. So many giving us praise or criticism. So much of our worlds naturally revolve around “ME.”

This is true for all of us, but the truth is that in my own life, I can tell a positive difference in ME when I am putting HIM first. When I humble myself before the Lord, He does lift me up (see James 4:10). He lifts me up, He carries me, He helps me act and react in difficult situations, He is my guide. He cannot be my guide, however, if I put ME before HIM in my personal list of priorities.

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

To put him first is like being continually fed by the river of Life. When we go to God first with our trials and frustrations, fears and doubts, excitement and joy, He fills us full of overflowing care and guidance. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) When we first go to God, we please Him and are, in turn, fulfilled.

How can we go to God first with everything, though, if we do not hold Him up and exalt His name above all others? We must train ourselves to keep God on our first proverbial speed-dial button in our hearts. If something horrible happens, call Him first. If something wonderful happens, share your joy with Him first. In going through the day-to-days, we can live in constant communion with our Lord. He knows all, sees all, and knows all of our wants and needs before we do, but He loves any opportunity that we allow Him one-on-one time.

The book of Job reminds us that dominion and awe belong to God (Job 25:2). Our human nature puts ME, our careers, our husbands and wives, our children, our friends, and even our pets and civic causes before HIM. We are told countless times through the inspired Word of God to hold Him up in the greatest light,and not to be so self-centered that the face we see in the mirror every day is more important than the One who created it. Do not think of yourself more highly then you ought (Romans 12:3),  but rather be humbled before Him and receive His blessings of grace (see Proverbs 3:34).

Friends, let me tell you, God has been speaking this lesson to my heart so I can hear it as well as pass it along to others. I have to remind myself continually that this life is not about me, that I am merely a messenger and teacher and that my purpose is not for ME but to further HIS kingdom. I have a lot of old wounds and old habits and I must remind myself to trust in Him to make my path known to me, to guide me and direct me, and to open my eyes to see and follow.

You were taught, with regard to your former ways of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self; created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

To put off your old selves. That is a refreshing analogy for me. To shed my old life that existed when I thought I was smarter than God and independent from Him. I also like the way it is phrased in Romans, that we are to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. (Romans 12:1) We do this when we realize HE is bigger than ME and that HE comes first.

I have a very fresh example of this in my own life. Just a few days ago I was having a great, productive day at the office. I work for our family business, designing and manufacturing custom and signature pieces of fine, heirloom-quality jewelry. Now, I pray for our family business a lot. A LOT! I pray for God’s hand to be on our business sales, strategies, craftsmanship; I want every aspect of our business to be conducted in a way that pleases Him. This seems particularly true in these tough economic times, as I pray for my family’s livlihood and blessings.

So, the other day I had a great morning. I even made a pretty good sale and was just so excited and thankful to God for sending this customer to us. Generally, I take leftovers for lunch but that morning I had forgotten to pack a lunch so I headed home to eat a quick bite and get back to the office. My husband was also home and frustrated with kiddo issues (when you have five kids, there are bound to be issues). He was venting and I was working hard to keep his foul mood from spoiling my awesome day.

Here’s where the freeze-frame would be if this were a movie: As he was talking, venting, and getting more frustrated and angrier at the situations he had been dealing with all morning, I had to completely stop and just pray. I shut out all noise and prayed, silently and to myself. Alone, I didn’t have the answers my husband wanted or needed to hear, but I knew that with God’s guidance, we could make a new path.

We had been down this road of parenthood frustration countless times so I knew so many of the negative alternate endings that could happen if I allowed ME to assume I knew more than HIM. So, I prayed a quick prayer for guidance and direction, for my words, actions, and reactions to be in line with God’s plan for me, and I returned to my husband as the action sped back up to real-time.

God gives answers. God gives direction. God helps and encourages. God supports and leads. God gave me wisdom that day to say exactly the right words to calm my husband’s frustrations, open some new pathways to help resolve the issues at hand, and allow me to get back to the office. The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge (Psalms 18:2).

God does not falter. He loves us unconditionally. He sees us when we are happy and when we are sad. He created us in His image, but we have allowed the world to come between us and our Creator. Today is a fresh new day, and every moment that passes is an opportunity to realign yourself with God’s plan for your life.

Make Him a priority. You don’t have to make a big show of it, faith is a very personal thing, but let me tell you, when you put the Lord first in your life, people see the difference in you without you even having to say a word. HE is bigger than ME, so I put my faith in HIM.

Dear God, Thank you for every person who ever reads these words. Thank you for giving me the lesson to learn for myself and to pass on to others who may need to hear the same message. God, please walk with me and these friends and clear the path for us so we can see clearly the path you have laid out for us. I know you have incredible plans for our lives and I submit fully to you now and am so excited to see how you tell my story. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Category:

1 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Isaiah, James, Job, Proverbs, Psalms, Romans

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Caution: Children at Play!

Today was a disturbing day. This morning, not 50 feet from our house, a child was hit by a car. My own daughter heard the squealing tires and the child’s screams and cries. It wasn’t my child that was hurt, but it was someone’s child, and I cannot imagine the sickness that came over those parents when they were summoned to the scene of their son sprawled out on the ground, his motor bike lodged under a vehicle, debris and skid-marks in the path of destruction. And before we turn on the driver, the woman was truly not at fault in this situation; in fact, she did all she could to miss this kid who came speeding down the alley on a motorbike, who never even slowed down when nearing the intersection of a busy residential street. She was not to blame, but that does not keep that child out of the hospital tonight.  Caution: Children at Play!

Fast-forward a little later in my day, when I overheard my youngest daughter’s TV speak the words, “Well, this sucks!” into her still spongy brain. Now, I realize that not all cartoons are meant for children–particularly four year old children–but this was a child’s cartoon! Caution: Children at Play!

These instances, coupled with being a mom of five and dealing constantly with the dichotomy between protecting them from harm and teaching them lessons that will serve them well “in the real world,” have me screaming at the top of my lungs today CAUTION: CHILDREN AT PLAY! What’s wrong with shielding our children from the evils of this world as long as we possibly can? They’ll find out soon enough just how spoiled our Eden has become. What’s wrong with doing things for and with our children as long as they welcome us with open arms? All too soon we won’t be as “cool” as those years come (in our house it seems to be from about 15 until about 25–but don’t quote me on that as we haven’t yet reached 25 with any of the kids yet, but I see the change back on the horizon for the oldest ones…) when we drop them off a few blocks from their destination and public hugs are met with eye-rolling. That’s when I want to quote the cartoon from this morning, but now? Not now! Right now I just want to say “Caution: Children at play!” Innocent minds at work soaking in all they see and hear!

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  ”Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”  And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16, NASB)

After the day I’ve had, I see now in this scripture that Jesus is telling even His own disciples, Caution: Children at Play! He wants us to remain in the innocence and faithfulness of a child, with our eyes untainted by all that we’ve seen, our memories clear. Just as the prophet Isaiah spoke: Yes, in the path of Your judgements, O Lord, we wait expectantly for You; our heartfelt desire is for Your name and for the remembrance of You. (Isaiah 26:8, Amplified) I want to add three little words to the end of that verse: …and only You.  Sisters, He calls us to be pure of heart and love, and to work to keep ourselves that way until the day we meet Him in eternity.

(Oh, and in case there’s a moment’s doubt in your mind, that cartoon was immediately turned off and forbidden!)

Category:

Children, Isaiah, Mark

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Our Names Are Written In Heaven!

I have been concentrating my reading on the New Testament lately, and a passage struck me the other night, while everyone else in my home was sound asleep. I was reading about the seventy-two additional disciples that Jesus chose to go out in pairs, healing and teaching in His name (Luke 10). These disciples reported back to Jesus after doing great things, so pleased and rejoicing at all they had been able to accomplish, and Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven” (Luke 10:17, The Everyday Bible). I love the mental picture of Satan falling that quickly and with that much power, just like a lighting strike.

Then I read on and my chest swelled as I was almost overrun with emotion as this passage finished with Jesus reminding these disciples, “But you should not be happy because the spirits obey you but because your names are written in Heaven” (Luke 10:20, The Everyday Bible).

My name is written in Heaven! YOUR name is written in Heaven! Jesus tells those who love Him that is the number one joy of our lives, that through God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that joy supersedes even Satan being overcome in our daily battles against evil. Wow!

What’s powerful, also, is that between that first passage in verse 17, and the second passage I lifted up in verse 20, Jesus is sure to keep those disciples focused on the fact that they were doing great things in the name of Jesus Christ, not by their own human powers but by the powers of the Holy Spirit working through their human hands.

Those of us who feel so led by God to go out into the world, teaching and praying and using opportunities to bring people to Him (or back to Him, as the case may be), must remember that it’s not for our glory, it is for His alone.

The words I use to reinforce His kingdom are not my own, but His words spoken (or typed) through my humanity. The successes I have are not my own wins or losses, but wins for Him and temporary losses until a greater time. All honor and glory is His, forever and ever!  Amen!!!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Category:

Eternity, Luke

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Your Whole Body is a Temple

HONOR HIMDo you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV)

Dear friends, Cary and I are both such passionate advocates for God and for exercise. Joyfully, today’s posting brings the two together.

My goal with this posting is to help you look at health and fitness in a whole new way; a healthy body and mind give you platform from which to live fully in God and share His glory with others. Your body is a temple, use it to honor Him.

Everyone has heard the saying that life is a marathon, not a sprint. This saying applies in glorifying God with our bodies, as well. If we spend our short life here on earth eating junk, smoking, overindulging in drugs and/or alcohol, only exercise periodically or not at all, and not resting like we should, our natural bodies are bound to give up too soon and make our already brief time here even more so.

On the contrary, if we treat our natural bodies as temples, if we exercise regularly, eat all of the nourishing foods He has given us in great abundance, and live a life of moderation, we are much more likely to live a long life, fruitful in sharing the Word of God with as many people as we can and having a firm platform from which to do so.

Man’s days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed (Job 14:5, NIV). God knew us even before the world was created, and called us by name. Only He knows how many hours we have in our natural bodies to make the greatest impact, and when we take responsibility for our bodily health, we are best able to fulfill our primary mission from God: Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples (1 Chronicles 16:23-24, NIV).

Those who have lived lives of excess or had lives disrupted by poor health can still be beautiful examples of God’s majesty and grace. But think with me for a moment how wonderful it would be to have the ultimate health in our natural bodies as well as our spiritual health! If your life has been handicapped because you have made poor lifestyle choices, then that also hinders the service you can do for Him, and I know none of us what that. So many health issues are caused by our “you only live once” worldly mentality, but the truth is that our life choices have such a profound effect on our ability to serve the Lord and our brothers and sisters in Christ that I wish we all had a “do-over” so we could go back and treat our bodies as the temples of the living God that they truly are. God is with us always, living in us and dwelling among us (see 2 Corinthians 6:16), so imagine how strong our voices would be if we weren’t huffing and puffing at the top of a flight of stairs.

The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7, NASB). We were formed by God, in His image to do good over all the earth. And on earth we will remain until the day He has set for us arrives. Remember friends, Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lovely bodies so that they will be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21, NIV). Can you just imagine it with me? Our earthly bodies which were formed in His image will also be raised up in His image and be glorious just like His. That’s a far cry from the way I feel when I look in the mirror each morning, far from glorious.

When we look in the mirror, when you see photos of yourself, when others see you, what do they see? Is your body as healthy as your spirit? Do you see health and vigor in your reflection or dullness and exhaustion? Jesus said that “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22, NIV).

What our eyes see is critical to the health of our spirit, but as important is all that can be told about us by looking into our eyes. Someone close to you can tell when you are sad or down, tired or sick, just from seeing your eyes. A complete stranger can tell so much from the volumes you speak with your eyes; they can see health or illness, happiness or sadness. Our eyes truly are the windows to our souls, so we must guard them from what is seen and keep our natural bodies healthy so that what we reflect is health and the love of God.

I have to tell a quick family story here. Last night over dinner, I asked our oldest son, Bryce, if he would like a second helping of baked salmon, “Protein packed and filled with cancer-fighting Omega-3′s.”

As he was taking his second helping, Bryce said, “I don’t think any of that cancer fighting stuff is true. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

As I answered him, I realized this is exactly the point I wanted to bring out of this lesson, “The research is correct, the problem is that the majority of Americans will not follow the strict nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle guidelines that it takes to truly make a difference in their life.”

When we, as Christians, build our bodies in excellent health while also building our spiritual health, we will truly be living in God’s image, and His light will shine through us to the world as we share His Word. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true–even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20, NIV)

Can we have eternal life even without near-perfect natural health? Absolutely. Will a healthy natural body better allow us to go, to serve, to do, to preach, to teach, to show love, to be more readily available in times of need, and on and one? I believe so. I have gone through some minor health issues that had pretty major effects on my day-to-days at the time. There was a nine month time frame before my hysterectomy that doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong and what needed to be done. During that time, I remained in such pain that I was not vital, energetic, or available. I did not spend much quality time with anyone, I did not feel like talking to or seeing anyone, and I sure didn’t spend all of my time spreading the Word. A part of my body was sick and it effected everything. My belief in God did not falter just because my natural body was going through a rough spot, but because of all of the doctors visits, tests, procedures, and overall pain, I did not feel like doing anything, and “anything” included using my body to tell of His glory.

Our natural bodies may not hinder our personal path to eternal life, but they sure can get in the way with our mission to share Him with others who may not otherwise know Him.

Once my natural body was healed, the light of good health returned to my eyes. As God spoke to Jeremiah, He also speaks to us, “For I will restore you to health and I will heal you of your wounds” (Jeremiah 30:17, NASB).

God heals, God inspires, God protects and restores, God gives us a lot of praiseworthy goodness. We must look to our natural bodies as Jesus did, as temples of the living God. His temple is worthy of our care and effort. Please, friends. take care of your bodies, treat them as you know you should, so you can have a strong platform from which to call out to others in God’s holy name.

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 2, NASB)

Make it a great day, Marilyn

Here are a couple of other verses I enjoyed that jumped out at me while preparing this lesson:

  • You, however, are controlled not my the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9, NIV)
  • So will be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, NIV)
  • Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food–you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive.” (Acts 27:33-34, NIV)

Category:

1 Corinthians, 1 John, 2 Corinthians, 3 John, Acts, Genesis, Jeremiah, Job, Matthew, Philippians, Romans

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Healing Rain

I was driving home from work last week, on a day like many others. The rain was falling, I was feeling like I had a lot to do and too little time, and I was listening to the radio. A song came on that I know and love but on that day it struck me in a way it never had before.

Healing Rain, one of the many moving songs by Michael W. Smith, played and I felt all of my worldly worries wash away, right then and there. It was as if time had ceased to exist as I watched individual raindrops roll in slow motion down my windshield and the words he sang went straight to my heart. Tears of joy, and tears of shame are washed forever in Jesus’ name.

These words pierced through me and I was overcome by the times in my own life and in the lives of countless friends and family in Christ have been hit by such a force that only heaven’s healing rain could truly fix the problem. Sometimes life take a miracle, yet we see them everyday when we look through God’s eyes.

When pains and sorrows seem to suck the life out of our days and we have no words to speak, the Holy Spirit is there with us, guiding us, promising and comforting us. The sun of righteousness will rise with healing (Malachi 4:2). Isn’t that a beautiful image? A breathtaking sunrise that will wash away the pains after the rain has fallen in our lives. Glory!

The face of the matter is that things happen in each of our lives that we don’t want to happen, we have to deal with stuff we would rather not, and sometimes life can be overwhelming, at best. But friends, even in these times when all our natural instincts tell us to run away from the pain, God is speaking softly in our ears, reminding us that we can run into His arms.

David wrote in Psalms 62:8, Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. He is there, He knows our best, our worst, our weakness, and our strength, and like a patient grandparent, God is waiting with open arms for you to come and gather at His feet for protection, guidance, and healing.

Oh Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you (Psalms 41:4). It is no secret that human nature is more inclined to evil than to good. We see the painful evidence everywhere we turn. Some faces hide the pain better than others, but it is still there, just below the surface. The perfect news is this: that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

Isn’t that wonderful?! Isn’t that marvelous news?! Isn’t it such a relief to know that all of our sins, all of our cruel deeds, all of our hurts and pains, all of our natural imperfections are not tallied up against us? I am constantly amazed and blessed by this realization as I go through my daily life, sometimes letting my worldly nature get the better of me.

By faith in God, through Jesus Christ, His son, you and I can put down our pain and allow the healing rains pour down on us like a fountain from heaven and wash us clean. God made a covenant with Noah after the great flood that Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy life. (Genesis 9:14-15) Although God was referring to actual floods destroying the earth, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are also protected from the storms of life destroying us.

We have trials and seasons that test us, mind and body, but we are never given an undertaking that we are not also given the strength to overcome. I believe it was Mother Teresa who said,I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. Isn’t that the truth, friends? But when the storm clouds gather, as they will, respond with prayer.

Pray, have faith in Him, and know that you are loved and that no one, least of all God, wants to watch you be destroyed by the floods in your life. When we have faith, even in the midst of life’s storms, all can see and feel it, just as the crippled man in the book of Acts. Paul was teaching and could see just by looking into the face of this crippled man across a crowded roomthat he had faith to be healed (Acts 14:9) and was healed by his faith.

Our faith outshines the storms and even as we are walking through our darkest hours, if we do so with faith in God on our side our hearts will, indeed, be washed in the healing rains and we will emerge singing His praises.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5: 2-5)

Friends, are the tears falling in your world right now or do you have some old wounds that cut so deep they just don’t seem to be healing? There is healing in God. God is like the kindest of parents, He loves us whether we acknowledge Him or not, but when we do, He rejoices! When we have been battered or have fallen, all we have to do is go to Him, pray to Him, show Him our pain and watch as He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalms 147:3).

Healing through Him is available to all, no matter the circumstances. Whether you were raised knowing Him or were raised to loathe Him, He has loved you since the beginning of time and rejoices when you allow Him into your heart. Call out and feel the healing rains fall.

Category:

1 Peter, Acts, Books of the Bible, Genesis, Healing, James, Malachi, Psalms, Romans

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