As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. Luke 10:38-39 NIV
Did you notice that Martha was named Martha, but Mary was called Mary? As you know, names were very significant in Jewish culture. They represented the person’s character. Now, this is just speculation, but it sounds like Mary’s name may have been changed to something more fitting than the name she was given at birth. According to the New Testament Greek Lexicon, Mary means “their rebellion.” The Hebrew word that is often translated “rebel” is marah. What if she was renamed Mary because she was rebellious? When I think of Mary of Bethany, I never think of someone who was rebellious. I think of someone who was passionate and someone who loved Jesus, but not of someone who was rebellious. It looks like time spent with Jesus changed her.
Time spent with Jesus always transforms us. Think back for a minute. What might you have been called before you met Jesus? Maybe rebellious would describe you. I know it describes me. Were you restless? Were you in bondage? And what might you be called today? Without a doubt, God has brought about some positive changes in your life. Will you just take a little time to thank Him for that? Now, what would you like to be called? If it is in keeping with God’s character and His design for your life, He is already moving you closer to that desire. Will you be willing, like Mary, to spend time learning at Jesus’ feet? Will you gaze up into His eyes and get to know Him? When your life falls apart, will you fall at His feet and present your questions to Him? Will you take what is precious to you and pour it out on His feet? The more you know Jesus, the more you will love and obey Him. Jesus said in John 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” And His love will transform you into the person God created you to be.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Why Worry?
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 6:27 NLT “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.”
I love baseball. Specifically, I love the Yankees. I love to watch baseball, and sometimes I love to watch the Yankees. But at this time of year - during the playoffs, it can be pretty stressful. Sometimes, if the game is really important or really close, I can’t watch it. The first bad pitch from the Yankees’ starter causes me to yell, “Get him out of there or we’re all going to die!!”
Since I enjoy watching baseball, I watched the last World Series. The Yankees weren’t there, so it didn’t matter to me who won. When one of the pitchers walked the second batter in a row, I calmly wondered whether they would take him out of the game or leave him in and see if he improved. How nice it was to just enjoy watching my favorite game! After all, there was nothing I could do to change the outcome, so I might as well just enjoy it. Hmmm…come to think of it, there was nothing I could do to change the outcome of the Yankees’ game either. All my worrying didn’t get them to the World Series.
See why I love baseball? It’s like life. All our worrying doesn’t change anything but us, and that change isn’t for the better. When God tells us not to worry, it’s for our own good. After all, He already has everything under control.
Matthew 6:27 NLT “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.”
I love baseball. Specifically, I love the Yankees. I love to watch baseball, and sometimes I love to watch the Yankees. But at this time of year - during the playoffs, it can be pretty stressful. Sometimes, if the game is really important or really close, I can’t watch it. The first bad pitch from the Yankees’ starter causes me to yell, “Get him out of there or we’re all going to die!!”
Since I enjoy watching baseball, I watched the last World Series. The Yankees weren’t there, so it didn’t matter to me who won. When one of the pitchers walked the second batter in a row, I calmly wondered whether they would take him out of the game or leave him in and see if he improved. How nice it was to just enjoy watching my favorite game! After all, there was nothing I could do to change the outcome, so I might as well just enjoy it. Hmmm…come to think of it, there was nothing I could do to change the outcome of the Yankees’ game either. All my worrying didn’t get them to the World Series.
See why I love baseball? It’s like life. All our worrying doesn’t change anything but us, and that change isn’t for the better. When God tells us not to worry, it’s for our own good. After all, He already has everything under control.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Weariness
Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 11:28 AMP “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. (I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.)”
Jesus will cause us to rest. Does that sound as good to you as it does to me? The Greek word translated “rest” here is Anapausis. It means again to pause; cessation from toils; implies the relaxing or letting down of chords or strings which have been strained or drawn tight.
Why are we weary? I’m not talking about being physically exhausted from a job well done. I’m talking about being mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. We don’t have to be, you know. Jesus promises to ease and relieve and refresh our souls if we come to Him.
Jesus cares about every detail of your life, including your schedule. Have you ever asked Him about your schedule? There may be an activity, one that seems acceptable, that He is calling you to leave behind.
Or there may be an activity that is more than just acceptable. It’s godly. But it may be a part of God’s plan for someone else. Have you said yes to ministries just because you didn’t want to disappoint anyone? Have you ever taken on a responsibility because it needed to be done and you were afraid no one else would do it?
Do you ever rely on your own strength or ability to accomplish what God has called you to do? When we rely on the strength God provides for us to accomplish His work we feel energized and joyful…maybe even rested.
Then there’s something that is one of my biggest problems. I’ve been putting off telling you this, but sometimes we procrastinate in being obedient to God. I sometimes invest my time in something that seems acceptable in order to avoid doing something I know God wants me to do, but which I’m afraid will be difficult.
We don’t have to be weary when we are yoked with Jesus. He promises His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The Amplified Bible says Jesus’ yoke will bring us rest, “relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quietness for (our) souls.”
Matthew 11:28 AMP “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. (I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.)”
Jesus will cause us to rest. Does that sound as good to you as it does to me? The Greek word translated “rest” here is Anapausis. It means again to pause; cessation from toils; implies the relaxing or letting down of chords or strings which have been strained or drawn tight.
Why are we weary? I’m not talking about being physically exhausted from a job well done. I’m talking about being mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. We don’t have to be, you know. Jesus promises to ease and relieve and refresh our souls if we come to Him.
Jesus cares about every detail of your life, including your schedule. Have you ever asked Him about your schedule? There may be an activity, one that seems acceptable, that He is calling you to leave behind.
Or there may be an activity that is more than just acceptable. It’s godly. But it may be a part of God’s plan for someone else. Have you said yes to ministries just because you didn’t want to disappoint anyone? Have you ever taken on a responsibility because it needed to be done and you were afraid no one else would do it?
Do you ever rely on your own strength or ability to accomplish what God has called you to do? When we rely on the strength God provides for us to accomplish His work we feel energized and joyful…maybe even rested.
Then there’s something that is one of my biggest problems. I’ve been putting off telling you this, but sometimes we procrastinate in being obedient to God. I sometimes invest my time in something that seems acceptable in order to avoid doing something I know God wants me to do, but which I’m afraid will be difficult.
We don’t have to be weary when we are yoked with Jesus. He promises His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The Amplified Bible says Jesus’ yoke will bring us rest, “relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quietness for (our) souls.”
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Free To Choose
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
Christ set us free so that we would be free. It sounds pretty simple, and yet we’re not always free. Sometimes we’re like Lazarus. Jesus raised him from the dead, but he was still bound. Jesus had to tell the people who were watching, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” And sometimes after our grave clothes have been removed, we choose to put them back on. Paul tells us that if we don’t stand firm, we can be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. I want to know how to keep that from happening, don’t you?
The Greek word for freedom is Eleutheria. It means liberty to do or to omit things having no relationship to salvation. The Greek Lexicon says that true liberty is living as we should, not as we please. The freedom Christ has given us is the freedom to choose. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “’Everything is permissible for me’ but not everything is beneficial.” We are free to choose, but not every choice we can make is good for us. 1 Peter 2:16 tells us not to use our freedom as a cover-up for evil. We are to use our freedom to live as servants of God. If we choose to live as we please rather than as God intends, we will be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. I want to be a servant of God, but being burdened by a yoke of slavery doesn’t sound very appealing. The word translated “burdened” means to harass, badger; to have it in for; to be entangled, to be enmeshed. No wonder it doesn’t sound appealing.
Our choice to follow Christ sets us free to be His servant. Our choice to follow our own will makes us makes us entangled and enmeshed. Just as Isaiah prophesied, Christ came to proclaim freedom for the captives. Let’s stand firm in that freedom by making the choice to follow Him.
Christ set us free so that we would be free. It sounds pretty simple, and yet we’re not always free. Sometimes we’re like Lazarus. Jesus raised him from the dead, but he was still bound. Jesus had to tell the people who were watching, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” And sometimes after our grave clothes have been removed, we choose to put them back on. Paul tells us that if we don’t stand firm, we can be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. I want to know how to keep that from happening, don’t you?
The Greek word for freedom is Eleutheria. It means liberty to do or to omit things having no relationship to salvation. The Greek Lexicon says that true liberty is living as we should, not as we please. The freedom Christ has given us is the freedom to choose. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “’Everything is permissible for me’ but not everything is beneficial.” We are free to choose, but not every choice we can make is good for us. 1 Peter 2:16 tells us not to use our freedom as a cover-up for evil. We are to use our freedom to live as servants of God. If we choose to live as we please rather than as God intends, we will be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. I want to be a servant of God, but being burdened by a yoke of slavery doesn’t sound very appealing. The word translated “burdened” means to harass, badger; to have it in for; to be entangled, to be enmeshed. No wonder it doesn’t sound appealing.
Our choice to follow Christ sets us free to be His servant. Our choice to follow our own will makes us makes us entangled and enmeshed. Just as Isaiah prophesied, Christ came to proclaim freedom for the captives. Let’s stand firm in that freedom by making the choice to follow Him.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wholehearted Devotion
Scripture reading: Isaiah 26:1-4
2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him…”
What is your passion? The dictionary defines passion as boundless enthusiasm or obsessive love. Obsessive…now there’s a word that gets my attention. I tend to be obsessive about pretty much everything. I’ve been trying to figure out my passion. I’ve decided my passion is trying to figure out things. What consumes most of your attention? Is it deciding God’s will for your life or how to spend your time or how to spend your money? Is it worrying about things you can’t change or trying to plan how you can change them? So many things call for our attention. It’s hard to focus on anything when our minds are everywhere.
The bible says God is looking for someone to strengthen. He is looking for someone who is fully committed to Him. The word translated fully committed in the NIV is “Salem.” It means complete, whole, perfect, peaceful, without strife, total obedience. That word is sometimes translated wholehearted devotion. The dictionary defines wholehearted as unconditional and enthusiastic. One definition for devotion is addiction. Could God be looking for someone who is unconditionally and enthusiastically addicted to Him?
Isaiah promises God will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are fixed on Him. Frank Laubach, a missionary to the illiterate, was committed to constantly bringing the Lord back to his mind. Here is an excerpt from his journal as recorded by Max Lucado in his book, “Just Like Jesus.”
May 24, 1930: This concentration upon God is strenuous, but everything else has ceased to be so. I think more clearly, I forget less frequently. Things which I did with a strain before, I now do easily and with no effort whatever. I worry about nothing and lose no sleep. I walk on air a good part of the time. Even the mirror reveals a new light in my eyes and face. I no longer feel in a hurry about anything. Everything goes right. Each minute I meet calmly as though it were not important. Nothing can go wrong excepting one thing. That is that God may slip from my mind.
We all want to be peaceful and without strife, don’t we? The secret is to make God the object of our focus and our passion. He will take care of everything else.
2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him…”
What is your passion? The dictionary defines passion as boundless enthusiasm or obsessive love. Obsessive…now there’s a word that gets my attention. I tend to be obsessive about pretty much everything. I’ve been trying to figure out my passion. I’ve decided my passion is trying to figure out things. What consumes most of your attention? Is it deciding God’s will for your life or how to spend your time or how to spend your money? Is it worrying about things you can’t change or trying to plan how you can change them? So many things call for our attention. It’s hard to focus on anything when our minds are everywhere.
The bible says God is looking for someone to strengthen. He is looking for someone who is fully committed to Him. The word translated fully committed in the NIV is “Salem.” It means complete, whole, perfect, peaceful, without strife, total obedience. That word is sometimes translated wholehearted devotion. The dictionary defines wholehearted as unconditional and enthusiastic. One definition for devotion is addiction. Could God be looking for someone who is unconditionally and enthusiastically addicted to Him?
Isaiah promises God will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are fixed on Him. Frank Laubach, a missionary to the illiterate, was committed to constantly bringing the Lord back to his mind. Here is an excerpt from his journal as recorded by Max Lucado in his book, “Just Like Jesus.”
May 24, 1930: This concentration upon God is strenuous, but everything else has ceased to be so. I think more clearly, I forget less frequently. Things which I did with a strain before, I now do easily and with no effort whatever. I worry about nothing and lose no sleep. I walk on air a good part of the time. Even the mirror reveals a new light in my eyes and face. I no longer feel in a hurry about anything. Everything goes right. Each minute I meet calmly as though it were not important. Nothing can go wrong excepting one thing. That is that God may slip from my mind.
We all want to be peaceful and without strife, don’t we? The secret is to make God the object of our focus and our passion. He will take care of everything else.
Monday, May 18, 2009
A Woman Who Fears the Lord
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31
Proverbs 31:30 NLT Charm is deceptive , and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Is this woman real? Since the passage starts out, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?” I’d like to think she’s fictitious. If you’ve met her, please don’t tell me. I’d like to think the writer of Proverbs is just giving us an ideal…someone he looked for but couldn’t find. Still, God inspired him to include this woman in His word, and He doesn’t waste anything. She can surely teach us something.
Her husband trusts in her. She does him good as long as there is life in her. Okay, I’ll aspire to that one. The New Living Translation says, “…she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him…”
Then we move on to wool and flax. And later she quilts her own bedspread. She does a lot of sewing. I’m asking God if I can still be virtuous without the sewing part.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast. I’ve got that one covered. I’ve been doing it for over 30 years now.
It looks like she must have exercised. She needed the strength and endurance to do all she had to do. The Amplified Bible says, “She girds herself with strength…and makes her arms strong…” The New Living Translation says, “She is energetic…” Regular exercise will do that for you.
Her children stand and bless her. She must have taken care of them. I consider it a privilege to be able to do that.
Why does she do all these things? I think this sums it all up, “…a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” As the Amplified Bible puts it, she “reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord.” Reverent fear of the Lord turns everything we do…the cooking, the cleaning, and all the little things we do to tend to our families…into an act of worship.
Proverbs 31:30 NLT Charm is deceptive , and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Is this woman real? Since the passage starts out, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?” I’d like to think she’s fictitious. If you’ve met her, please don’t tell me. I’d like to think the writer of Proverbs is just giving us an ideal…someone he looked for but couldn’t find. Still, God inspired him to include this woman in His word, and He doesn’t waste anything. She can surely teach us something.
Her husband trusts in her. She does him good as long as there is life in her. Okay, I’ll aspire to that one. The New Living Translation says, “…she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him…”
Then we move on to wool and flax. And later she quilts her own bedspread. She does a lot of sewing. I’m asking God if I can still be virtuous without the sewing part.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast. I’ve got that one covered. I’ve been doing it for over 30 years now.
It looks like she must have exercised. She needed the strength and endurance to do all she had to do. The Amplified Bible says, “She girds herself with strength…and makes her arms strong…” The New Living Translation says, “She is energetic…” Regular exercise will do that for you.
Her children stand and bless her. She must have taken care of them. I consider it a privilege to be able to do that.
Why does she do all these things? I think this sums it all up, “…a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” As the Amplified Bible puts it, she “reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord.” Reverent fear of the Lord turns everything we do…the cooking, the cleaning, and all the little things we do to tend to our families…into an act of worship.
Monday, April 20, 2009
He Knows You
O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD. Psalm 139:1-4 NIV
Is there someone whose thoughts you can almost read, whose sentences you can finish? If so, you’ve invested a lot of time in getting to know that person, haven’t you? You know God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, but have you ever considered He is also very personal? He loves you so much that He has taken the time to get to know you personally.
Remember when Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb and found He was gone? She stood at the tomb crying. She heard Jesus. She even saw Him. But she didn’t realize it was Jesus. John 2:15-16 says "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
But then He said her name. And that made all the difference.
Verse 17 says, “Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).” Jesus had taken the time to get to know Mary Magdalene. When she heard Him say her name, it was a familiar sound.
Can you believe He has taken the time to get to know you too? Yes, God wants you to know Him, but He knows you!
Look at the first line of Psalm 139 again. He doesn’t just know you. He has searched you in order to know you. The word translated “search” means to search out, find out, examine; to see through. He is familiar with all your ways. According to the Hebrew dictionary, that means “to be in the habit; to get along well with.” The New American Standard Bible says He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. You’re not just a friend of God; you’re a close friend. And that makes you special!
Is there someone whose thoughts you can almost read, whose sentences you can finish? If so, you’ve invested a lot of time in getting to know that person, haven’t you? You know God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, but have you ever considered He is also very personal? He loves you so much that He has taken the time to get to know you personally.
Remember when Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb and found He was gone? She stood at the tomb crying. She heard Jesus. She even saw Him. But she didn’t realize it was Jesus. John 2:15-16 says "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."
But then He said her name. And that made all the difference.
Verse 17 says, “Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).” Jesus had taken the time to get to know Mary Magdalene. When she heard Him say her name, it was a familiar sound.
Can you believe He has taken the time to get to know you too? Yes, God wants you to know Him, but He knows you!
Look at the first line of Psalm 139 again. He doesn’t just know you. He has searched you in order to know you. The word translated “search” means to search out, find out, examine; to see through. He is familiar with all your ways. According to the Hebrew dictionary, that means “to be in the habit; to get along well with.” The New American Standard Bible says He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. You’re not just a friend of God; you’re a close friend. And that makes you special!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Father, Forgive Them
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34 NIV
I’ve been thinking about this verse since we discussed it in Bible study a few weeks ago. Jesus gave us an example of forgiveness to follow, but have you ever thought about the fact that the people who killed Him really didn’t know what they were doing? I’ve always thought they had to know what they were doing. They may not have known that was God on the cross, but they must have known that crucifixion was cruel. And they must have known that Jesus was innocent. How could He say they didn’t know what they were doing? Jesus is truth (John 14:6), so He can’t lie. If He said they didn’t know what they were doing, then they really didn’t know. There must be something in that statement that I’ve never noticed.
Could Jesus be saying they didn’t understand the big picture? You know, God uses everything that happens to us for His good purpose. I’ve spent years trying to forgive one of my son’s teachers. I’ve also had a hard time forgiving myself for letting him stay in her class. I thought, even then, that God was calling me to homeschool, but I was afraid I couldn’t do it. I know the statements “God is calling me” and “I can’t do it” don’t belong in the same sentence. Still, I wasn’t sure. My son is in college now, and we are still thankful for his first grade teacher, Mrs. Fortner, and his second grade teacher, Mr. Lilly. We’ve always considered those teachers to be gifts God gave our son. But until now, I’ve had a hard time considering one of his teachers to be a gift from God. Since Jesus looked at the big picture, maybe I should too. She didn’t know what she was doing, but God used her to accomplish His purpose.
It didn’t happen immediately, but this teacher did help us make the decision to homeschool. And God uses adversity to make us into the people He wants us to be. I tend to try to shield my children from adversity. Yes, when we look at the big picture, we can forgive anyone who hurts us because we can see it as part of God’s plan. The cruel death that Jesus suffered was also part of God’s plan.
I don’t think Jesus meant that the people who crucified Him didn’t know it was cruel. He meant they didn’t know that God was using their cruelty to fulfill His plan and offer us forgiveness for our sins. So, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death. Few of us will be called to be that obedient, but we can learn from Jesus’ prayer on the cross. We can forgive and wait to see God’s plan.
I’ve been thinking about this verse since we discussed it in Bible study a few weeks ago. Jesus gave us an example of forgiveness to follow, but have you ever thought about the fact that the people who killed Him really didn’t know what they were doing? I’ve always thought they had to know what they were doing. They may not have known that was God on the cross, but they must have known that crucifixion was cruel. And they must have known that Jesus was innocent. How could He say they didn’t know what they were doing? Jesus is truth (John 14:6), so He can’t lie. If He said they didn’t know what they were doing, then they really didn’t know. There must be something in that statement that I’ve never noticed.
Could Jesus be saying they didn’t understand the big picture? You know, God uses everything that happens to us for His good purpose. I’ve spent years trying to forgive one of my son’s teachers. I’ve also had a hard time forgiving myself for letting him stay in her class. I thought, even then, that God was calling me to homeschool, but I was afraid I couldn’t do it. I know the statements “God is calling me” and “I can’t do it” don’t belong in the same sentence. Still, I wasn’t sure. My son is in college now, and we are still thankful for his first grade teacher, Mrs. Fortner, and his second grade teacher, Mr. Lilly. We’ve always considered those teachers to be gifts God gave our son. But until now, I’ve had a hard time considering one of his teachers to be a gift from God. Since Jesus looked at the big picture, maybe I should too. She didn’t know what she was doing, but God used her to accomplish His purpose.
It didn’t happen immediately, but this teacher did help us make the decision to homeschool. And God uses adversity to make us into the people He wants us to be. I tend to try to shield my children from adversity. Yes, when we look at the big picture, we can forgive anyone who hurts us because we can see it as part of God’s plan. The cruel death that Jesus suffered was also part of God’s plan.
I don’t think Jesus meant that the people who crucified Him didn’t know it was cruel. He meant they didn’t know that God was using their cruelty to fulfill His plan and offer us forgiveness for our sins. So, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death. Few of us will be called to be that obedient, but we can learn from Jesus’ prayer on the cross. We can forgive and wait to see God’s plan.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
You Are Beautiful
The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord. Psalm 45:11 NIV
My friend, Denise, from elementary school was gorgeous. She had long, bouncy, golden brown hair, blue eyes and long, dark eyelashes. But Denise and I were not part of the elementary in-crowd, so we didn’t get to define beauty. One day my uncle and I were discussing the latest haircut, a Pixie, which I needed to make me look like the important girls. He said, “You know who I think is the second prettiest girl in school, after you? It’s Denise.” Now, I had a mirror and I knew how to use it. I knew I was not prettier than Denise, but I thought, “Bless his heart…he really believes that.”
I tend to think that beauty has eluded me. I do have two beautiful daughters and people tell me they look like me, so maybe just briefly at some point between awkward and aging, beauty found me. Maybe it was somewhere during high school and college. I remember seeing a picture and thinking, “I wish I looked more like her. Oh, wait! That’s me. Never mind…” In my mirror, I was still overweight with glasses and had braces covering my crooked teeth. It was okay, though, because I was pretty sure I was the only one who noticed. You see, I’m invisible.
When my 8-year-old played Cinderella, she was always Cinderella and the prince always found that the glass slipper was a perfect fit. When I thought of myself in the Cinderella story, I was one of the women in the crowd. I was the one who never had the opportunity to try the slipper before the handsome prince found its owner.
Today I have a knight in shining armor who would fight to protect me, and he thinks I’m beautiful. When he tells me so, he looks at me in a way that takes me back to that feeling I had with my uncle. “Bless his heart…he really believes that.” Of course, I’m not sure my husband understands beauty. He doesn’t even care if his socks match each other. Now, God understands beauty.
The King who is enthralled by your beauty is the Creator of the universe. He created beauty. What is His definition of beauty? It doesn’t matter. You and I fit that description. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The ideal body moved from Marilyn Monroe to Twiggy. The preferred look has been heavily made up, natural, and everything in between. Beautiful hair has been long and straight, and it has been short and curly. That’s why beauty is fleeting. The world’s view of it never stays the same. But the King, the One who has the right to define beauty, thinks you and I are beautiful. Let’s just rest in that and honor Him.
My friend, Denise, from elementary school was gorgeous. She had long, bouncy, golden brown hair, blue eyes and long, dark eyelashes. But Denise and I were not part of the elementary in-crowd, so we didn’t get to define beauty. One day my uncle and I were discussing the latest haircut, a Pixie, which I needed to make me look like the important girls. He said, “You know who I think is the second prettiest girl in school, after you? It’s Denise.” Now, I had a mirror and I knew how to use it. I knew I was not prettier than Denise, but I thought, “Bless his heart…he really believes that.”
I tend to think that beauty has eluded me. I do have two beautiful daughters and people tell me they look like me, so maybe just briefly at some point between awkward and aging, beauty found me. Maybe it was somewhere during high school and college. I remember seeing a picture and thinking, “I wish I looked more like her. Oh, wait! That’s me. Never mind…” In my mirror, I was still overweight with glasses and had braces covering my crooked teeth. It was okay, though, because I was pretty sure I was the only one who noticed. You see, I’m invisible.
When my 8-year-old played Cinderella, she was always Cinderella and the prince always found that the glass slipper was a perfect fit. When I thought of myself in the Cinderella story, I was one of the women in the crowd. I was the one who never had the opportunity to try the slipper before the handsome prince found its owner.
Today I have a knight in shining armor who would fight to protect me, and he thinks I’m beautiful. When he tells me so, he looks at me in a way that takes me back to that feeling I had with my uncle. “Bless his heart…he really believes that.” Of course, I’m not sure my husband understands beauty. He doesn’t even care if his socks match each other. Now, God understands beauty.
The King who is enthralled by your beauty is the Creator of the universe. He created beauty. What is His definition of beauty? It doesn’t matter. You and I fit that description. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” The ideal body moved from Marilyn Monroe to Twiggy. The preferred look has been heavily made up, natural, and everything in between. Beautiful hair has been long and straight, and it has been short and curly. That’s why beauty is fleeting. The world’s view of it never stays the same. But the King, the One who has the right to define beauty, thinks you and I are beautiful. Let’s just rest in that and honor Him.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Worship Him with Dancing
Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 NIV
Follow Baal? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Did Baal create you or redeem you? What were those people thinking? Well, the Hebrew word, Baal, means “lord, master, possessor.” It seems that in Elijah’s day, each locality had its own Baal. Okay, I’m starting to relate a little more. I’m afraid I have my own “Baal” also. It’s not always the same thing. I guess I would define the “Baal” in my life as anything I allow to master me.
Is there anything that constantly takes your attention away from God? It could be a habit you’d like to break. It could be the need for approval. It could be anything that keeps you from worshiping and following God with a passion. That’s what it means to waver between two opinions.
The Hebrew word that is translated “waver” means to become crippled; to worship in a limping dance. Anything that keeps us from following God alone will cripple us. Can you just imagine wanting to worship God but having something that hangs on to you until it makes you limp? Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Now there is a heart set free to dance with God! Is there any question that the Lord is God? Then throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Fix your eyes on Jesus and get ready for the dance of your life, the one God created you to dance.
Follow Baal? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Did Baal create you or redeem you? What were those people thinking? Well, the Hebrew word, Baal, means “lord, master, possessor.” It seems that in Elijah’s day, each locality had its own Baal. Okay, I’m starting to relate a little more. I’m afraid I have my own “Baal” also. It’s not always the same thing. I guess I would define the “Baal” in my life as anything I allow to master me.
Is there anything that constantly takes your attention away from God? It could be a habit you’d like to break. It could be the need for approval. It could be anything that keeps you from worshiping and following God with a passion. That’s what it means to waver between two opinions.
The Hebrew word that is translated “waver” means to become crippled; to worship in a limping dance. Anything that keeps us from following God alone will cripple us. Can you just imagine wanting to worship God but having something that hangs on to you until it makes you limp? Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Now there is a heart set free to dance with God! Is there any question that the Lord is God? Then throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Fix your eyes on Jesus and get ready for the dance of your life, the one God created you to dance.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
I Enjoy Being a Girl
My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:15-16
When I was born, my mother wanted a boy. She still mentions it occasionally. When we learned my daughter was having a girl, my mother asked if I thought that would be okay. We were all thrilled! My dad wanted a boy too. In fact, I don’t think he knows yet that he didn’t get one. He did say that when I was born and the nurse told him I was a girl, he asked her to go back and see if she could find a boy. My parents had one chance to have a boy and they had me instead. I think they got over it, for the most part, and they are pleased with God’s decision.
Knowing they wanted a boy could explain why I prefer baseball to ballet. It could explain why my best friends in high school and college were guys. They used to tell me they liked me because I didn’t act like a girl. I took it as a compliment since they said it was what they liked about me, but I’m glad I wasn’t born a boy. I love being a girl because I get to be the mom. And yet I know that in some ways I’ve never acted like most females.
God knew I would be a girl. He wanted a girl. He knew I would be born to parents who were hoping for a boy. He also knew that I would like some of the things boys like. Every bit of this was part of His plan for me.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God knew you before you were born? He had planned every day of your life before even one of them came to be. God knew everything, good or bad that would happen to you, and He has used every bit of it to shape you into the person He created you to be. God has a purpose for your life. Just relax, enjoy being you, and follow His plan. A wonderful adventure awaits you!
When I was born, my mother wanted a boy. She still mentions it occasionally. When we learned my daughter was having a girl, my mother asked if I thought that would be okay. We were all thrilled! My dad wanted a boy too. In fact, I don’t think he knows yet that he didn’t get one. He did say that when I was born and the nurse told him I was a girl, he asked her to go back and see if she could find a boy. My parents had one chance to have a boy and they had me instead. I think they got over it, for the most part, and they are pleased with God’s decision.
Knowing they wanted a boy could explain why I prefer baseball to ballet. It could explain why my best friends in high school and college were guys. They used to tell me they liked me because I didn’t act like a girl. I took it as a compliment since they said it was what they liked about me, but I’m glad I wasn’t born a boy. I love being a girl because I get to be the mom. And yet I know that in some ways I’ve never acted like most females.
God knew I would be a girl. He wanted a girl. He knew I would be born to parents who were hoping for a boy. He also knew that I would like some of the things boys like. Every bit of this was part of His plan for me.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God knew you before you were born? He had planned every day of your life before even one of them came to be. God knew everything, good or bad that would happen to you, and He has used every bit of it to shape you into the person He created you to be. God has a purpose for your life. Just relax, enjoy being you, and follow His plan. A wonderful adventure awaits you!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Laughing Always
Scripture reading: Proverbs 3:13-26
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”
Live life, love God, laugh always. I love to laugh often, but always? Not everything is funny. As my son-in-law prepares to leave for Iraq again, my family is having a hard time laughing about everything.
Proverbs 31:25 says a wife of noble character “is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” The Hebrew word for laugh is sahaq. It means to celebrate, rejoice, or frolic. It also means to mock or scoff. A woman like this is optimistic about the future, but she can also scoff at any disaster that may come. She is prepared for anything. She is steadfast. Proverbs 31:30 suggests she got that way by fearing the Lord. She understands the Lord’s ways.
How does understanding His ways prepare us for the future? Proverbs 3:19 says that God created the world by wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 8:30-31 says, “Then I (wisdom) was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” So wisdom is able to laugh always.
“By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established,” according to Proverbs 24:3. Beth Moore describes that as meaning that wisdom builds the dwelling and understanding secures it. The Hebrew word that is translated established there is kun. It means to be established, be steadfast, be reliable, be certain, be ready, be prepared. It signifies initial preparation, actual preparation for the future event. It also signifies the deep satisfaction and sense of well being which comes from the certainty that our hearts steadfastly trust in the Lord who directs our paths. Because God has made the initial preparation, we can trust Him to direct our paths.
Psalm 112:7-8 says the righteous man “will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear, in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 37:23 says, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand”.
My daughter and granddaughter love the movie Enchanted. To be honest, I’d have to say I love it too. We were watching it for about the seventh time a few days ago. It had been a difficult day. Anna was missing her dad, Livy was missing her mom. Both were out of town on business. It was raining…again. It wasn’t the happiest of days, but it was obvious they were both really into the happily ever after of the movie. After it was over, Anna said, “I love this movie. It shows there is a happily ever after even when it doesn’t look like there could be.” It’s true. God is into happy endings and happily ever afters. He sees today, but He also sees how the story ends.
So how does all this help us laugh always? How does it prepare us for bad news or disaster? How do we know that happy endings apply to us? I don’t know about you, but hearing that I need to be righteous or that the Lord needs to delight in my way for it to happen doesn’t always make me laugh. Well, my eight year old…the one who is reading over my shoulder right now says she has the perfect verse to go here. It’s John 3:16. She’s right. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” On my own I’m not righteous. I’m no match for Satan. I do a lot of things that would keep God from delighting in me. But I have believed in and continue to trust the one who built this world with wisdom and understanding.
God told His children who were in captivity because of their disobedience in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Nothing takes God by surprise. Proverbs 16:4 tells us “The Lord works out everything for his own ends…” And our history with God can tell us His own ends will be good.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” God is the Rock. Lean on Him. He can hold you up. Try leaning on anything or anyone else and see what happens. Job 8:13-15 says it like this, “Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile, what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” Beth Moore takes the spider web analogy a step further to say that we will become entangled in a sticky mess when we lean on anything or anyone but God.
So how can we laugh when nothing is funny? We can lighten up and laugh by understanding who God is. We can laugh at the days to come because God planned for them all in advance and He planned that one day we would live with Him, happily ever after.
Proverbs 3:25-26 “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”
Live life, love God, laugh always. I love to laugh often, but always? Not everything is funny. As my son-in-law prepares to leave for Iraq again, my family is having a hard time laughing about everything.
Proverbs 31:25 says a wife of noble character “is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” The Hebrew word for laugh is sahaq. It means to celebrate, rejoice, or frolic. It also means to mock or scoff. A woman like this is optimistic about the future, but she can also scoff at any disaster that may come. She is prepared for anything. She is steadfast. Proverbs 31:30 suggests she got that way by fearing the Lord. She understands the Lord’s ways.
How does understanding His ways prepare us for the future? Proverbs 3:19 says that God created the world by wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 8:30-31 says, “Then I (wisdom) was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.” So wisdom is able to laugh always.
“By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established,” according to Proverbs 24:3. Beth Moore describes that as meaning that wisdom builds the dwelling and understanding secures it. The Hebrew word that is translated established there is kun. It means to be established, be steadfast, be reliable, be certain, be ready, be prepared. It signifies initial preparation, actual preparation for the future event. It also signifies the deep satisfaction and sense of well being which comes from the certainty that our hearts steadfastly trust in the Lord who directs our paths. Because God has made the initial preparation, we can trust Him to direct our paths.
Psalm 112:7-8 says the righteous man “will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear, in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.” Psalm 37:23 says, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumbles he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand”.
My daughter and granddaughter love the movie Enchanted. To be honest, I’d have to say I love it too. We were watching it for about the seventh time a few days ago. It had been a difficult day. Anna was missing her dad, Livy was missing her mom. Both were out of town on business. It was raining…again. It wasn’t the happiest of days, but it was obvious they were both really into the happily ever after of the movie. After it was over, Anna said, “I love this movie. It shows there is a happily ever after even when it doesn’t look like there could be.” It’s true. God is into happy endings and happily ever afters. He sees today, but He also sees how the story ends.
So how does all this help us laugh always? How does it prepare us for bad news or disaster? How do we know that happy endings apply to us? I don’t know about you, but hearing that I need to be righteous or that the Lord needs to delight in my way for it to happen doesn’t always make me laugh. Well, my eight year old…the one who is reading over my shoulder right now says she has the perfect verse to go here. It’s John 3:16. She’s right. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” On my own I’m not righteous. I’m no match for Satan. I do a lot of things that would keep God from delighting in me. But I have believed in and continue to trust the one who built this world with wisdom and understanding.
God told His children who were in captivity because of their disobedience in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Nothing takes God by surprise. Proverbs 16:4 tells us “The Lord works out everything for his own ends…” And our history with God can tell us His own ends will be good.
Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” God is the Rock. Lean on Him. He can hold you up. Try leaning on anything or anyone else and see what happens. Job 8:13-15 says it like this, “Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile, what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” Beth Moore takes the spider web analogy a step further to say that we will become entangled in a sticky mess when we lean on anything or anyone but God.
So how can we laugh when nothing is funny? We can lighten up and laugh by understanding who God is. We can laugh at the days to come because God planned for them all in advance and He planned that one day we would live with Him, happily ever after.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Being Mastered
Scripture Reading: Romans 14:1-8
1 Corinthians 6:12 AMP “Everything is permissible(allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful(good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.”
What masters you? I’m easily mastered. Unfortunately it isn’t always by the only One who has a right to master me. That One is, of course, my Lord and Savior. The Greek word translated “Lord” is Kyrios. It means master of something, thus having absolute authority over it; as the object after verbs of rejoicing, trusting; through His aid and influence, by His help. So, we’re mastered by what we trust, by what influences us, by what we turn to for aid.
God has been so kind in allowing all food to be permissible. But it isn’t all beneficial. It isn’t as much about what we eat as about when and why. Anything we eat when we are not hungry isn’t beneficial. When I think of something that isn’t beneficial, I think of something that has a negative effect. Paul takes it a step further by saying he won’t be mastered by anything; he won’t become a slave of anything or be brought under its power.
When it comes to food, I’ve been mastered at each extreme. I’ve trusted food to meet a need that only God can meet. I’ve turned to it to aid me in procrastination. And I’ve been influenced by it to the point that I have felt powerless to resist food that I wanted even when I knew my body didn’t need food at all. I’ve also been consumed with the latest research on nutrition. I’ve spent far too much time planning what I would or wouldn’t eat.
God created our bodies perfectly. He knows our needs….He even knows our wants…and He wants only what is best for us. That’s why He alone is worthy to master us. He alone is worthy to be trusted, to be the One who influences us, to be the One from whom we seek aid. I would never say out loud that I love or trust food more than I love or trust God. Yet, when I eat for any reason other than physical hunger, that is what my actions say. We can trust God with everything, including our eating. When we look to Him to meet all our needs, He always meets them in the best way possible.
1 Corinthians 6:12 AMP “Everything is permissible(allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful(good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.”
What masters you? I’m easily mastered. Unfortunately it isn’t always by the only One who has a right to master me. That One is, of course, my Lord and Savior. The Greek word translated “Lord” is Kyrios. It means master of something, thus having absolute authority over it; as the object after verbs of rejoicing, trusting; through His aid and influence, by His help. So, we’re mastered by what we trust, by what influences us, by what we turn to for aid.
God has been so kind in allowing all food to be permissible. But it isn’t all beneficial. It isn’t as much about what we eat as about when and why. Anything we eat when we are not hungry isn’t beneficial. When I think of something that isn’t beneficial, I think of something that has a negative effect. Paul takes it a step further by saying he won’t be mastered by anything; he won’t become a slave of anything or be brought under its power.
When it comes to food, I’ve been mastered at each extreme. I’ve trusted food to meet a need that only God can meet. I’ve turned to it to aid me in procrastination. And I’ve been influenced by it to the point that I have felt powerless to resist food that I wanted even when I knew my body didn’t need food at all. I’ve also been consumed with the latest research on nutrition. I’ve spent far too much time planning what I would or wouldn’t eat.
God created our bodies perfectly. He knows our needs….He even knows our wants…and He wants only what is best for us. That’s why He alone is worthy to master us. He alone is worthy to be trusted, to be the One who influences us, to be the One from whom we seek aid. I would never say out loud that I love or trust food more than I love or trust God. Yet, when I eat for any reason other than physical hunger, that is what my actions say. We can trust God with everything, including our eating. When we look to Him to meet all our needs, He always meets them in the best way possible.
Friday, January 16, 2009
It's Time to Rebuild the Temple
Scripture Reading: Haggai 1:2-9
Haggai 1:2 NLT “This is what the LORD Almighty says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’S house—the Temple.”
Do you ever put off taking care of yourself because it isn’t Monday or it isn’t New Year’s Day? 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Just as God’s house was in ruins in those days, we can let His temple be in ruins today. Just as He wanted to be honored in His temple in those days, He wants to be honored in His temple, your body, today. Our bodies, after all, are not ours. God bought us with a very high price.
In Haggai’s day, God’s people were never satisfied. They had food to eat but not enough to fill them up. They had clothing to wear but not enough to keep them warm. God said to them through Haggai, “Consider how things are going for you! ...and rebuild my house” Meditate on that. “Consider how things are going for you.” How are things going for you? Are you satisfied with God or are you looking for something else to satisfy you? In 1 Corinthians 6:20, the King James Version tells us to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits which are His. Body, soul and spirit are pretty hard to separate. If we neglect one, it affects the others. Could it be the dissatisfaction many of us feel is caused in part from neglecting God’s temple? Today is the day. It’s time to rebuild the LORD’S house.
Haggai 1:2 NLT “This is what the LORD Almighty says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’S house—the Temple.”
Do you ever put off taking care of yourself because it isn’t Monday or it isn’t New Year’s Day? 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Just as God’s house was in ruins in those days, we can let His temple be in ruins today. Just as He wanted to be honored in His temple in those days, He wants to be honored in His temple, your body, today. Our bodies, after all, are not ours. God bought us with a very high price.
In Haggai’s day, God’s people were never satisfied. They had food to eat but not enough to fill them up. They had clothing to wear but not enough to keep them warm. God said to them through Haggai, “Consider how things are going for you! ...and rebuild my house” Meditate on that. “Consider how things are going for you.” How are things going for you? Are you satisfied with God or are you looking for something else to satisfy you? In 1 Corinthians 6:20, the King James Version tells us to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits which are His. Body, soul and spirit are pretty hard to separate. If we neglect one, it affects the others. Could it be the dissatisfaction many of us feel is caused in part from neglecting God’s temple? Today is the day. It’s time to rebuild the LORD’S house.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
God’s Temple or My Palace?
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 6:1-7:1
1 Kings 7:1 NLT “Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.”
God gave Solomon very specific and detailed instructions for building His temple. The temple where God would come and dwell among His people had to be exactly right. Today, our bodies are the temples where God dwells among His people, and they have already been built to exact specifications. God has already taken care of building His temple. He created our bodies perfectly. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our job is to maintain the temple that God has built.
Sometimes I get carried away with getting the latest fitness information. Okay, I admit sometimes I get obsessed with reading and experimenting with the latest scientific research regarding how to best take care of my body. After all, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, right? But, considering God has already taken care of the details, how scientific do I really need to be? Is it possible that my obsession with fitness could keep me from doing the very things that God wants me to be fit enough to do?
Solomon took 7 years to build the Temple. He took 13 years to build his own palace. Yes, exercise is one of the ways God intends for us to maintain the temple that He has created. But when we spend an excessive amount of time and energy learning about exercise, studying the benefits of exercise, planning how to exercise and actually exercising, could it be that we are really building our own palaces?
1 Kings 7:1 NLT “Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.”
God gave Solomon very specific and detailed instructions for building His temple. The temple where God would come and dwell among His people had to be exactly right. Today, our bodies are the temples where God dwells among His people, and they have already been built to exact specifications. God has already taken care of building His temple. He created our bodies perfectly. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our job is to maintain the temple that God has built.
Sometimes I get carried away with getting the latest fitness information. Okay, I admit sometimes I get obsessed with reading and experimenting with the latest scientific research regarding how to best take care of my body. After all, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, right? But, considering God has already taken care of the details, how scientific do I really need to be? Is it possible that my obsession with fitness could keep me from doing the very things that God wants me to be fit enough to do?
Solomon took 7 years to build the Temple. He took 13 years to build his own palace. Yes, exercise is one of the ways God intends for us to maintain the temple that He has created. But when we spend an excessive amount of time and energy learning about exercise, studying the benefits of exercise, planning how to exercise and actually exercising, could it be that we are really building our own palaces?
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