Health and Well Being - Part 1

God is a triune being: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity created us in their image as triune beings with a body, soul and spirit (Genesis 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Each entity contributes to who we are and influences our health and well-being. We experience life through our Body, we acknowledge life through our Soul, and we influence life through our Spirit.

The Body is our existence, the Soul is our expression, and the Spirit is the essence of our life. Without fully developing all three parts of our being, we are handicapped individuals. Unless we acknowledge and nurture each entity, we will never reach wholeness within ourselves, nor can we help to nurture others.

We care for our Body with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition.  We care for our Soul through safe relationships, mental stimulation and nurturing our emotional health. We care for our Spirit through Bible study, church attendance, prayer, fasting, Christian fellowship, service to God, and sharing our faith with others.

Events, which wound our soul, are only minor chapters of our life, and are definitely not the end of our story. Even if our past was good, the best is still yet to come (Jeremiah 29:11). God calls each one of us to sink our roots deeper into His river of the pure water of life, which is clear as crystal and proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).

Prayer:

Father God, we pray for those who are traversing the dark night of their soul. Bring them nurturing friends and family to support them through this most recent chapter in their life. We also pray that You will ease this time of transition for them and reassure them of You care for them as You shower them with Your love and blessings on their road to the fulfilled Christian life.

Thought for the Day:

God's refreshment sustains us in every trial, and we know that He will work out all things for your good. - Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11

Our Glorious King

God chooses the foolish of the world to confuse the wise and the weak to confound the mighty. He uses the lowly and the despised to walk in His Spirit in order to bring down strongholds and lift up everything that pertains to Him (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). Our life is in God’s complete control. We may not always understand His ways or purposes; but as we maintain our faith in Him and obey His Spirit’s directives, eternity will reveal the reasoning behind His actions.


Our temporary struggles here on earth cannot even compare to the glory that God prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). His powerful hope sustains us in trials and temptations. God gives His Saints citizenship in heaven, and we will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ. We eagerly wait for our Savior’s return. Since all things are subject to His power, He will transform our humble, finite body and conform it to the infinite, immortal glory of His body (Philippians 3:20-21).


God’s works are vast and spectacular. All of His ways are holy and trustworthy. He is the King of all the nations and everyone will fear Him and glorify His name. Upon His return, every nation will come and worship before Him. Everyone will see and understand all of His mighty acts throughout the ages (Revelation 15:3-4). He provides heaven for all of those who receive Jesus as their personal Savior (Luke 20:26). Even in death, Believers have a refuge in Christ (Proverbs 14:22).  


Those who die without a regenerated spirit experience physical death along with the second death in hell (Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14-15; 21:8). However, when an authentic Born Again Believer dies physically, his/her body is buried to await the resurrection, but their soul and spirit, their essence, immediately join the Lord in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8). It is said that we are sleeping in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:18), and the day of our death is better than the day of our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). 


Prayer:

Father God, as surely as You live, every knee of those on the earth, in the earth and under the earth, that includes everyone, will bow to Your Lordship (Philippians 2:10). I pray that anyone reading these words who has not surrendered their life to You, will indeed believe that Jesus is our only Savior, so they will repent of their sins and walk in Your ways. Thank you for Your gracious plan to redeem all mankind and for making Your glory so evident in nature all around us (Romans 1:20). I pray that people will see the fallacy in Satan’s lies and come to the truth of Your written Word, so they too will worship You as their Lord and King.

Thought for the Day:

Come believe in Christ and live in the presence of our glorious King, both on this earth and eternally in the grandeur of heaven.

The Value of God's Blessing

“God bless you” is a common response to people who sneeze. The reason behind this custom is that people used to die during the bubonic plague, and continual sneezing was a symptom of this illness. Now the words are used carelessly and often shortened to “Bless you”, leaving God out of the equation all together. However, God’s blessing is very powerful and coveted by people who know its value.

Jacob knew the value of God’s blessing. In fact, he bargained with his brother Esau to give to him, the younger brother, the blessing, which rightfully belonged to the older brother. If Esau valued his blessing, he would not have traded it for a bowl of hearty soup; but the carnal Esau was famished after a day of hunting, and his stomach ruled his head. He never regretted this decision either. In fact, God knew this would happen before it ever occurred (Genesis 25:19-34).

In today’s society, we continually compromise the values, which lead to God’s blessings. Adultery in marriage, sexual indulgence with the same gender, rebellion against parents and authority, witchcraft, God-haters, rejecting God’s truth to trust in Satan’s lies, and worshipping the created rather than the Creator are just a few of our transgressions. We also teach others to do these very same things (Romans 1). We fail to acknowledge God. We are too busy futilely planning our own life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God promises blessings to His Saints, including those of peace, direction and abundance (Philippians 4:7; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 9:8-10). We are His people, and He is our God (Ezekiel 36:28-38). As His Saints, we never worry about amassing the vanities of life, or even the essential things we need (Proverbs 30:8). God is always faithful. In our finite, human imagination we cannot even conceive of the wondrous bounty that God has planned for His people both now and in eternity (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Prayer:

Father God, the true essence of prayer is a direct line of communication with You. You are the source of all life and we truly value Your blessings in our life. The sinful lifestyle we give up in order to live in Your presence is nothing compared to the riches You have for us both now and in eternity (Acts 17:11; Romans 8:18-19). We stand firmly in the freedom of Your presence (Galatians 5:1). As we wait on You, we receive our strength for each new day (Isaiah 40:31).

Thought for the Day:

With God’s blessings in our life, we never have to give another thought to what we should eat or wear, because of what He has in store for us. - Luke 12:22-31