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Listen while you read: "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing"1 (Lyrics) |
1 Corinthians 6:20 – For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. (NKJV)
Ephesians 1:13 – You, too, have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed in the Messiah, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (ISV)
Recently, my husband and I purchased a new living room set. The following day, we noticed that my cat Nikkie had a piece of paper stuck underneath his body. So I carefully removed it, along with some of his fur. The label read, "Under penalty of law, this tag not to be removed except by the consumer." It was unclear how the cat removed the sticker from the furniture; nevertheless, no harm was done, and my family had a good laugh.
This experience reminded me of today's Scripture verses, because, in a spiritual sense, we, too, have been tagged by God's own stamp of approval — the seal of the Holy Spirit. Jesus paid the price for our sins, a price which has set us free from the penalty of sin and death. But this freedom goes beyond the redemption of our souls. As the Scripture teaches, it includes our physical being as well; consequently, we are instructed to glorify God in our bodies. Yet, for many, this may be a challenge, due to illness or disability. Even so, consider the testimony of the apostle Paul:
2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (NIV)
Philippians 1:20 – I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (NIV)
Thus, through the power of Christ's Spirit living in us, believers can glorify the Lord despite any kind of infirmity. We have been bought, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit, ready to be used for the glory of God.
Prayer: Lord, we give You thanks that You have purchased our redemption with Your precious blood. Cleanse our hearts, minds, and bodies with Your life-giving Spirit that we may be renewed in all aspects of our being. Let Your name be glorified in us through Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose holy name we pray. Amen.
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Good one Lori!
Thank you so much.
Good thoughts Lori.
Thank you Lori, I really needed to hear this message. This flu is just hanging on, but you have reminded me that my body is His also and I am healed in Jesus’ name!!
Beautiful.
Lou & you are in my prayers.
Brotherly love to the both of you.
Lori, as usual, a great job with this devotional. Who would’ve thought that Nikkie would be the inspiration for it though. That’s one smart cat.
I guess you never know where it will come from.
Dear Lori,
A very “meaty” devotional, moving to a height in the prayer that we live to give glory to God.
Amen.
Keep writing for His glory.
Thank you so much for a wonderful smile – compliments of your cat Nickie – and for encouragement when physical problems cause us to worry – until we remember to glorify our Lord in all things and at all times…as did St Paul. Perfect picture of Nickie with his seal! Thank you!
This reminded me of an incident when I was a child.
I was helping my mother make the bed and noticed this tag on the mattress, which also said “this was made with converted material”. I guess I was a cheeky little child, and I commented that we must have a Christian mattress!
Dear Lori,
Your devotional has spoken to me in a very profound way. In the past few years as my body has waned, because of age and disability, my spirit and mind have been renewed. That growth began when I began writing a few years ago. What a blessing it has been for me, my family and my readers. Thank you for bringing this subject to the forefront today. May God continue to bless you as you write for Him.
Good Morning Lori:
Your message, as always, was so a blessing to we who love the Lord and a great testimony to those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Your prayer was touching and a sermon within itself.
You challenged us to never forget to Glorify the Father, through Christ. Isn’t it an absolute awesome miracle that Christ was willing to die and shed His precious blood that we may be redeemed. I lie in bed at night a ponder concerning the marvelous gift of eternal life that has been made available for those who believe Christ is indeed the son of the Living God.
Thank you for all your challenging and life saving messages presented time after time. The Lord will honor you for your ministry to those who know Him and the challenge you present for those who have not yet made Him their Lord and Savior.
Continue to write, the angels in heaven rejoice over one saved soul and your words indeed would cause one, who does not know Christ, to seriously consider following the straight and narrow path which leads to Life Eternal.
Blessings Always.