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.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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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