What is TRUE about you and about your body? It isn’t what the world says, what the media says about it. Not at all!
Here is a sound file that I hope will encourage you today. Feel free to download it and listen to it when you have a chance. You can even put it on your iPod if you want. Whatever works!
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/94220393″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]What do you think? Are you beginning to know that you have an amazing body? Not only are you God’s incredible creation, but you are also His dwelling place if you are in Christ! How might believing that–REALLY believing that–change how you view yourself and how you act?
I was very much struck about the visual of God inhabiting the physical temple Solomon constructed. This same God lives in me? WOW! I guess thru the blood of Jesus my body is as beautiful as the physical temple with all of its gold, stone, precious jewels, insence, etc. I must care for it better, clean it out more often, exercise it, not bring garbage into it. Thank you GOD!
I know, Joyce. Isn’t it amazing!
That was beautiful……I am beautiful. I have not felt so these last few days, dealing with womanly issues and wondering how much longer I have to go through this. So I am so thankful for that sound file. I am beginning today by praying and thanking God for everything about me, everything I can think of and putting the past behind me. I will do my study and take in all the beautiful lessons He has for me.
Awesome, Michelle. Yes…the past is past. It is history. All we have is THIS moment. We can decide what we will do with THIS moment.
I love the reality that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Living out of this truth for me means that I need to focus on this presence and allow Him to lead me and show me that my true beauty comes from the fact that He dwells in me. Today I will thank God for my body that He himself has made a temple for His holy presence. This truth overwhelms me with joy. When God sees me He sees temple. This is not exactly the way I have seen myself. I have been so self critical that at times I don’t even want to look at myself in the mirror. Today I will renew my mind regarding having body beautiful. Thanks for this sound clip. I will hear it over and over to remind myself that I am so much more than what the world sees as beauty. I am God’s dwelling place and so are all of you. Praise Him for His Intimate Love. Thanks Heidi and thanks all.
Amen, Lisa!
In my prayer journal yesterday, I wrote asking God to help me not to have unrealistic expectations of what my body should look like because he created me just as I am. Instead, I asked him to help me have a clean and righteous heart to better serve and glorify him. A perfect “10” bdy does not glorify God, but a heart full of love and mercy does.
Amen, Sue. What a great insight. 😀
What a bummer! I could not get the sound cloud to work! Any how, My husband the other day let me know how much he loved my beautiful body even with all this weight on my frame. He says he doesn’t notice it… I said really! He assured me that he finds me very beautiful! I was very blessed to here this from my sweetie. God blessed me with a wonderful GEM and through my husbands words made me feel loved and accepted and beautiful in his eye’s. : )
I felt the Father God’s love for me as I heard my husband speaking, it was like I was hearing God speaking to my heart saying…I see you, beautiful, lovely, in My Son Jesus Christ. I felt my heart begin to melt…I see you perfect in my Son. I love you unconditionally, fully accepted. There is nothing more you can do. It is finished in My Son…He has paid the full penalty for your sins. I have made you a holy and sanctified vessel, in My Son Jesus Christ. I delight to dwell in this temple I have so fearfully and wonderfully made you my daughter.
1 Corinthians 3:15-17
King James Version (KJV)
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Reformation Study Bible
RSV
3:16 God’s temple. God signified His presence in the temple by filling it with the cloud of His glory (1 Kin. 8:10, 11). Now He lives in His people by filling them with the Holy Spirit. Paul’s focus here is on God’s people as a corporate whole; in 6:19 the emphasis shifts to the individual Christian’s body.
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
RSV Bible
Zephaniah
3:9–20 The dramatic reversal: Judgment is the prelude to restoration and purification both in Israel and among the nations (vv. 9, 12, 13). In a closing hymn of praise (3:14–20) the prophet sings of the future reign of the Lord, His victory over His enemies, and His love for and presence with His people. The church may sing this song now in celebration of Christ’s victory on the Cross (Col. 2:15) and in anticipation of His triumph when He returns (2 Thess. 1:5–10).
Jamie, I have had that experience with my husband too. Besides my extra curves I have some huge scars from some surgeries. When I see myself I see flawed and imperfect. My husband sees beauty. I don’t understand it but, I accept His love. It is the same with God. We are so flawed yet God sees us perfect because of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus blood makes makes us perfect. Thank you GOD.
What a blessing you ladies have such wonderful husbands that speak God’s healing truth to you!
As always, Jamie, thank you SO much for sharing the pure WORD of God with us. That is what truly transforms us. It is no small wonder that God said in the psalms that “He sent forth his WORD and he healed them.” That is where our healing is…in the amazing Word of God. Jesus as the living WORD made flesh and in the timeless written Word. Thank you! So sorry SoundCloud didn’t work. If you want, I can email you the sound file…or try to.
Hi Heidi,
Yes that would be nice to hear the sound cloud…please do send it to me….I will keep an eye out for it. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. God bless you with His supper abundant Grace. : )