Happy Sunday!
Can you believe that we’re almost through FEBRUARY already? WHERE IS TIME GOING?
Did I tell you guys that we’re NOT moving to Rhode Island anymore? Now, we’re moving to Missouri!
Mr. FFF got into another school – a better one – so we’ve decided to go there. We will move in APRIL.
SO SOON.
But, you did not come to talk about moving (worst subject ever) you came to talk about faith!
In the past few weeks, my SOAPS (click here if you don’t know what those are) have been readings from Exodus about the VERY VERY specific guidelines on how the tabernacle is to be built, the robes made etc.
The instructions are DETAILED. And they’re LONG.
I am going to be honest with you. My eyes started to glaze over and I wondered “God, what on Earth are you trying to teach me from this. How the heck does instructions to build a tabernacle apply to my life in 2017.”
But, after some deep thought about how I can make this apply to my life, it hit me: the instructions for building the tabernacle were SO specific because it was where God lived in the Old Testament times. It was His HOME and he wanted it to be perfect and worthy to house him.
But, in OUR times, our BODIES are now God’s home. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
Which means, that God has particular instructions for how we should keep our hearts and bodies worthy for the Lord to dwell in them.
Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Romans 6:13 “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Matthew 6 22-23 ““The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
It’s SO easy to just skim past all these instructions, thinking that Old Testament stuff “doesn’t apply to us.” However, I think that misses the point. Exodus is a great reminder of how God wants his temple, which is now US, to be holy and pleasing to him!
So, let’s work on making that a reality in our lives today!
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me keep my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you. Show me when I am not keeping up your temple in a way that is pleasing to you. Help me to walk in your light so that I can shine You to the world as You dwell in me.
Saralee Czajkowski says
Wow!! I always thought the same thing, as well as the laws in Leiviticus, wanting to skim over. Thanks for this OTHER view, one ot apply to ourselves since God dwells IN us!
BTW, where in Missouri is your hubby going to school? My niece and Nephew BOTH went there for post grad work!
Taylor Kiser says
YAY! I am so glad to give someone else a new perspective on it!!
FUN!!! He is going to Missouri State in Springfield!
Stella @ Stellicious Life says
Wow, this post and especially your observation that our bodies are the temple of God and that is why we should take good care of it, worship it and be grateful that we have it, shone a brand new light on why we should connect with our bodies and take care of it not just exploit its resources and strength. This new observation really amazed me, thank you Taylor!!
Taylor Kiser says
YES! I am so thrilled to have shed a new light for you – I thought it was a great new way to look at a not-so-exciting verese!