Sacred Whispers Devotional 1

As you read today's devotional, play "HERE AGAIN" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.

SPIRITUAL

THE TRIFECTA OF SANCTIFICATION 

By Marlin D. Harris 

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 

I remember sitting in a worship service many years ago, where I was afforded the rare freedom of not being responsible for the preaching or the flow of the worship experience.  As much as I love teaching the scriptures to hearts eager to learn and ministering to the needs of people, that particular Sunday I had the beautiful experience of being ministered to. As I sat there, basking in the freedom of worship and the power of the gospel being proclaimed, the minister asked a question that day, that has long since visited my heart over and over again whenever I need to be rescued from a pleasure-centered, spurious relationship with God.  He simply asked, “Beloved, are you sanctified before God in every area of your life?”  Now, I know that may sound like a mundane question without any overt significance, but to me, this question entered my heart with the precision of an arrow shot by a skilled archer.  The question hit me with such impact because I knew the answer to it was ‘no’.  I was not living sanctified before God in every area of my life.  There were the dark, unspoken, secret corridors of my heart that I still held onto with a clenched fist, and refused to release those areas in obedience to God, and the reality of that personal conviction was simply overwhelming.  I sat in that church that day and wept bitterly.  I knew that God had arranged my presence there, to calmly, but decisively wake me out of my spiritual slumber. 

The experience that day led me to think more gravely about the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – “and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly… spirit and soul and body.”  This trifecta of sanctification seems to be at the heart of what it means to live a sanctified life.  Paul describes sanctification as a process that involves all three aspects of our life: our spirit, our soul, and our body.  This is what is called ‘whole life sanctification’.  Sanctification by definition is the consecration of every aspect and part of our lives to the honor and glory of God.   

The Spirit (Heart) 

The first term that Paul uses here is “spirit”.  Our ‘spirit’ is the part of our nature through which we interact with God.  This is the part of us that makes up our character.  In many passages of Scripture, when the spirit is being referenced it is often called the ‘heart’ of the person. It is what is active when we pray, worship, or meditate on the Word of God.  A healthy spirit is one in which the love and peace of God are imparted into, and expressed through, our lives.  It is also the vehicle through which we are able to receive personal insight and direction from God through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit.  When we say that a person has a beautiful spirit, we are saying that the virtues of God are seen manifested in that person’s character and we see the beauty of God on display within them. 

The Soul 

The next term that the Apostle Paul uses is “soul”.  The soul is that part of our nature through which we have self-knowledge and self-awareness.  This is the part of us that makes up our personality.  We think, reason, feel, make choices and have desires all as a function of our soul.  The soul has been commonly defined as the seat of our mind, our will, and our emotions.  Simply put, our soul is what makes us a ‘person’.  In many passages of scripture when the soul is being referenced, it is often called the ‘mind’ of the person.  This is the part of us that has to constantly be renewed and reprogrammed.  The soul must constantly be fed a healthy diet of the Word of God and must be challenged and instructed by sound doctrine, wise counsel, Biblical truth, and Godly influences. 

The Body 

To some, it may be difficult to understand why the Apostle Paul would include the body in the sanctification process.  Aren’t the soul and spirit more important than the body?  Caution is advised here. We must not minimize the powerful role that the body plays in ensuring our spiritual health and sanctification.   

The body is the primary gateway to the soul and spirit.  In consideration of Godly, sanctified living, the body holds a critical place. When the soul and spirit are defiled from things from the outside, the body is the general medium of entry. When we develop soul-destructive habits and addictions, they generally find their introduction into our life through some action of the body. Some of the most ‘common’ sins that are primarily responsible for defiling the soul and spirit are done through the body.  We gamble, lie, steal, abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in sexual sin, curse others, brawl, fight and the list continues – all in connection with some action or conduct of our body.  Now to be sure, there are sins that we do that don’t involve the body like envy, jealousy, hatred, anger, etc., but even these, when not restrained, will eventually seek to vent their expressions through the body.  So given the significant role that the body plays in living a life that is honoring to God, it stands to reason why the Apostle Paul included the body as a part of his trifecta of sanctification. 

So the big question is: how do we do it?  How do we sanctify our spirit, soul, and body?  The answer is: we absolutely cannot! We cannot do so without the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.  Until the Spirit and power of God, produces sanctification within us, we are left like feathers tossed about by the wind.  We are powerless against the forces that would seek to spiritually defile us.  He must sanctify, and Him alone. 

So then, do we have any responsibility at all?  The answer is a resounding, Yes!  Our responsibility in sanctification is in both ‘renewing the mind’ (Romans 12:2), and in ‘disciplining our body’ (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).    We have no control over the holiness of our spirit.  We have some control over the holiness of our soul, but we have the most control over the holiness of our body.  This is why the scriptures admonish us in 1 Thessalonians 4:4, saying “that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable”. 

The heart of the matter is found here. We determine what we look at, we determine what entertainments we enjoy, we determine what we eat and drink, we determine what we do sexually, we determine what truths or lies we tell.  The multitude of actions we do, are they not within our power?  Now to be certain, our actions are greatly influenced by spiritual powers, and life forces outside of us, but that is why we must daily call upon the power of the Holy Spirit to empower us to choose to do those things that fulfill His call to holiness.  In our sanctification, there is a discipline that falls upon us, and that is the discipline of “right actions”.   This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…” (1 Corinthians 9:27). 

We must not ‘do right’ because it feels right, we must decide to ‘do right’ simply because it is right.  Many believers miss the mark of sanctified living because we feel that either we can live sanctified all by ourselves, or we feel that we are not involved in sanctification at all.  Both are dead-end thinking and have no biblical ground beneath its feet.  God sanctifies us as we cooperate with the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit.  The beautiful truth is that you and I have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are currently being sanctified each day by the renewing of our mind, and the disciplining of our flesh, and we will be fully and finally sanctified and preserved without blame at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God has done His part, now you and I must daily lean upon the grace of the Holy Spirit to help us do ours.   

PRAYER 

Holy Father, attend to each us in the area of our sanctification without delay.  We desperately admit to our need of being sanctified by your power and strength.  We are weak, and we need you to strengthen us in our fight against the evil, even the evil within our own hearts.  Our spirit cries out to you to make us holy as You are Holy.  Our soul stands in need of Your power to control our thoughts and emotions so that they do not cause us harm.  And our bodies look only to You for the courage to be broken and denied its fleshly desires, so that our life may bring Your heart joy.  In Your Gracious Name, I pray, Amen. 

Daily Spiritual Exercise  

Identify one area of your life that is not sanctified before God and write it on a sheet of paper.  It may be a quick temper, or a relationship, or an unresolved conflict, or a marital concern, or some other area.  Then determine one action you will do every day to correct and change that area of your life, and make every effort to do it.  Finally, look at the sheet every morning and pray for God’s help in changing that one area of your life until it no longer exists, and then move on to the next area.     

PRACTICAL

HEAD, HEART AND…. REFRIGERATOR? 

By Marlin D. Harris 

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 

Have you ever opened your refrigerator door and discovered that there was practically nothing healthy to eat?  There are yesterday’s leftovers, a half-eaten piece of chicken, a package of cold cuts, and a whole bunch of condiments and sauces that you never really know what to do with.  Ok, maybe I’m just describing my refrigerator, but I’m willing to wager that this is probably true of more of us than we are willing to admit.  Basically, we all carry a lot of junk in our fridge, and it becomes indicative of how we eat and what drives our appetites.  The truth is that what’s in my refrigerator, or in my pantry, has a good chance of ending up in my body. 

You will notice that the scripture passage that we are looking at today is the same one that we just studied in our Spiritual devotion regarding sanctification.  The key for our consideration in this discussion is that our spirit, soul, and body each refer to some common area of our lives.  Our spirit refers to our ‘heart’, and our soul refers to our ‘head’, and our body refers to – well, just our body.  No special reference there.  If we are to be sanctified, then we must cooperate with God in cleaning out these areas of our life where toxic, destructive elements have seeped in.   

We cannot have a sanctified, holy life until first there is a cleansing of the spirit, soul, and body, or in more common terms; the head, heart, and body.  We cleanse the heart by ridding it of the anger, malice, strife, and other such things that seek to hold its spiritual usefulness in bondage.  We cleanse the head by ridding it of the misguided thoughts and emotions that crowd it screaming for attention and center-stage.  Now, we come to cleansing the body.  We cleanse the body, by ridding it of those things that damage it and seek to bring it disease and sickness.  To some, this doesn’t sound very spiritual, and there can be strong arguments against attaching such an idea to  I Thessalonians 5:23.  And I certainly wouldn’t enter into an argument here because quite frankly, I’m afraid I wouldn’t win it.   

However, I do want to ask, how can you be so sure that when the Apostle Paul said “our body”, he didn’t mean just that – our “body”.  I don’t doubt that he might have meant more than simply the body, but I certainly don’t believe that he meant less.  Perhaps there is more to Godly living than simply our spirit and soul. Maybe how we care for our ‘body’ is a key part of our spiritual sanctification.  Please don’t make the mistake of neglecting the truth that our ‘bodies’ are fearfully and wonderfully made, and it is our bodies that houses our spirit, the truest essence of our personhood.  Not to mention that it is only through the body that our souls have any possibility of human expression on the earth. So the body is an indispensable supporting character in the drama of life. 

Now, if the heart needs cleansing, and the soul needs cleansing, then so does our body.  This is where the refrigerator plays an important role.  The foods that we eat either aid the body in its need for nourishment or burden the body with toxins and visceral excess that eventually invites malfunction and disease.  There are some foods that we can enjoy in moderation, and then there are other foods that we simply cannot moderate; we must eliminate them from our diet.  It all depends on the condition of your body, your ability to resist the temptation of that food, and the overall status of your health.  The decision to eliminate certain foods is a huge decision.  I dare not suggest which ones you should remove from your diet altogether, but I am passionately encouraging you to survey your health and your health goals and determine if keeping a particular food in your refrigerator is wise for you and if it will help you achieve physical health success.  

The deck is stacked against us if we try to be healthy while still eating the same foods we have always enjoyed.  Despite what the latest fashionable food diet commercial touts, the average person can’t stay healthy and continue consuming foods high in sugar, fat, and salt.  Foods that are high in either of these three habit-forming elements – sugar, fat, and salt – are ‘trigger foods’ that cause us to overeat. These foods have been genetically engineered to keep us opening up the fridge and going back for the never-ending ‘seconds’.  For many of these tasty snacks or decadent deserts, “one bite is too much, and a thousand will never be enough”!  They have humorously been referred to as genetically modified weapons of mass addiction! 

The one truth that I don’t want to get lost in our discussion is that the body is sacred and was not created to be abused.  It was never meant to be enslaved to our appetites, nor was it meant to be used as a medium through which emotional stress and sadness can be alleviated.  The body is a holy, God-given tool that God intended to glorify Himself through.  Remember the sobering words of 1 Corinthians 6:20, “you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” [NIV]  You can do this. You are stronger than you realize.  So open that refrigerator, grab a trash bag, and let’s go ‘cleaning’! 

Prayer 

Lord, all that I am belongs to you, and that includes my body.  Allow me to set a guard over my lips not only that I may not say anything that will bring harm or injury, but also that I might not eat anything that will bring harm or injury to my body.  Empower me to resist temptation when it rages deep within.  May my physical appetite be as pleasing to you as I desire my heart to be.  Let there be nothing in my refrigerator that doesn’t ultimately bring you glory.  In the Name of our Strong and Might Savior, Amen. 

Practical Action Today  

Today’s practical action is actually very simple: Get a trash bag, open your refrigerator and start dumping anything that has high calories, excess sugar, fat, or salt, and don’t replace them.  That’s it. That may just be the first step to a better, healthier you! 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Download Fasting Guide

Listen To Sacred Whispers Playlist

As you read today's devotional, play "You're Doing it All Again" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.

Spiritual

THE LORD IS MY REFUGE

By Matthew Pryor

(Content Taken From The Body Tithe Devotional, Spiritual Encouragement for Your Journey)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”

Galatians 5:1

Have you ever seen the “Running of the Bulls”? The most famous one is held in Pamplona, Spain. Thousands of adventurers try to outmaneuver, outrun, or outlast a group of bulls released in some blocked-off streets spanning a half-mile. It’s an interesting sight to watch people literally run for their lives. Maybe you’ve seen a movie where the heroes are being chased as they run for the gates of their country’s embassy. Imagine a young boy running home as he is being chased by a pack of bullies. Whatever the case, once they reach their destination, a wave of relief washes over them. They’re safe . . . secure . . . protected. They have found refuge.

In the Old Testament, the word “refuge” was especially significant as there were entire cities designated as “Cities of Refuge.” Revenge was so prominent that manslaughter was repaid with manslaughter, oftentimes done by the hands of the victim’s family, even if the death was unintentional. If you were involved in an accidental death, you could flee to one of six Cities of Refuge. There you were kept safe as you awaited trial. You can imagine an enormous sense of relief washing over you once inside those city walls.

Although King David never fled to a City of Refuge, he certainly knew what it was like to be pursued by his enemies. David’s faith, obedience, and love of the Lord’s law made him a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). As admirable as these traits were, David was more impressive for something else: his complete and utter desperation for the Lord. This is why he was especially fond of referring to the Lord as a “refuge.” For David, the Lord as a refuge meant God was a place of safety for the distressed (Psalm 59:16). The Lord was a strong tower that no enemy could breach (Psalm 61:3). He was a shelter that no evil could conquer (Psalm 91:9–10), and under which David could live free of condemnation (Psalm 34:22). The Lord wasn’t just “a” refuge for David; He was “the” refuge for David (Psalm 91:2).

In one of the most revealing, honest declarations of them all, David wrote: “Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.’”—Psalm 142:5 (NLT) Imagine, a king with the world at his fingertips, and all He really wants is the God who is at his side: “You are all I really want in life.” All that matters, all that counts, all that’s worth anything worth having is the Lord and the safety He provides.

You may still be feeling that the enemy is in hot pursuit. He’s nipping at your heels with reminders of recent failures or setbacks. Your resolve is fading, though the pace of his chasing hasn’t. To make matters worse, you find yourself believing the growing whispers of defeat you’re hearing behind you. You need a City of Refuge. Provisions were made to ensure accessibility to Cities of Refuge. They were available to everyone, no matter what. The cities were easy to see because they were often built on mountains. The roads leading to the cities were extra wide, well maintained, and never congested. They had plenty of signs and directions posted along the way. Since the gates never closed, once you were there, you were in. If you ever needed a City of Refuge, not only could you get to one, but the city wanted you there. Sound familiar? It should, because that’s the Lord we serve—open to everyone, all the time, no matter what. He’s inviting you, welcoming you in, and protecting you once you’re there.

When we need our City of Refuge—and we need Him every day—we continue running. We know He is strong and good, and will always remain close (Nahum 1:7). We don’t stop until we reach our Tower. There, we have shelter from the storms and have shade from the heat (Isaiah 25:4). We put one foot in front of another, knowing He is the One who saves and delivers (Psalm 7:1). The Lord provides safety and shelter. We should seek to rest in His provision in all circumstances. Once we arrive, relief washes over us. We’re safe . . . secure . . . protected. We have found Refuge. He is all we really need in life.

Prayer

Father, thank You for the safety You provide for us. Will You forgive me when I seek refuge in things that can’t provide it? Please help me run to You, all the time, no matter what. Amen. Meditation You are my refuge. That is all I need.

Daily Spiritual Exercise

Spend 10 to 15 minutes writing your own “The Lord is my _____________” Devotional.  Remember, you don’t need to be eloquent to honor God by this exercise. The goal is to acknowledge who He has been, is, and will continue to be in your life. Don’t get caught up in making it perfect. It’s the pouring out of your heart that brings Him glory.

Pryor, Matthew. The Body Tithe Devotional: Spiritual Encouragement For Your Fitness Journey (pp. 243-246). Sophros.

Physical

Philippians 1:1

THE GIFT OF FOOD

By Cathy Morenzie, “Healthy Eating, God’s Way”

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:3

“And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.” ~

Ecclesiastes 3:13

My husband often wishes that he could just take a pill everyday that fills his belly so he does not have to think about food. To him, food is an annoyance and an inconvenience that interrupts his day. I’m the exact opposite…from the moment I wake up, I think about food. It’s one of the highlights of my day and, unlike my hubby, I think that much of my life is centered around it. Because it’s that important for me, it’s important that it’s nutritious.

If you’re anything like me, food fills your thoughts, conversations, time, and energy. Whether it’s planning, tracking, shopping, preparing, or eating, the goal is to eat nutritious, nourishing foods that leave me feeling satisfied and content.

Despite how much attention we give food, we are no wiser about how to stop ourselves from the lure of un-nutritious foods, or how we’re to eat to maintain a healthy weight once we have achieved it. It’s enough for us to want to surrender with the white flag and say, “Pass the Häagen-Dazs!” We’re so busy trying to figure out calories, points, and the latest low-carb food that it allows the enemy to have a field day with us. He’s won again by keeping us distracted and focusing on minutiae that was never meant to take up so much of our time.

We’ve made food a mystery to be solved, a puzzle to be pieced together, and a vault to be entered into with a magical combination. But it’s so much more than any of these approaches. Food is a gift from God (Ecclesiastes. 3:13) and the sooner we can see it from this perspective, the sooner we will be free from the bondage of food and its minions of guilt, shame, and bewilderment.

So just how do you have a conversation about healthy eating without making food the enemy? That’s what we’re about to explore.

This fast will give a biblical approach to healthy eating—especially as it relates to weight loss. More importantly, it will give you the freedom to enjoy nutritious food without turning it into a production, feeling like you need a degree in food science to figure it all out. You will learn that you can eat in a way that honors God as you learn to honor your temple. Though the Bible doesn’t specifically talk about eating for weight loss, there are numerous passages that talk about food, dietary practices, gluttony, discipline, self-control, eating clean food, cooking food and specific foods—all essential topics related to healthy eating.

Someone once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.” This means that everything in life that seems overwhelming and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking it one step at a time, or one bite at a time. That’s exactly how you should approach this devotional and challenge.  One day at a time, one small challenge at a time. Each day will introduce you to one small principle that you will practice for that day. Surely you can do anything for just one day, right?

Get ready to challenge yourself each day. Get ready to discover how to eat healthfully and how to make choices that honor God with your body! Know that this important decision about what is “healthy” has to do with more than just the nutrition facts label! You will discover how your health impacts your body, soul, and spirit.

During this fast, we pray that you will:

• Develop an appreciation of God’s gift of food
• Practice a daily healthy eating challenge
• Understand what you’re really craving
• Develop a biblical model for healthy weight loss
• Study what God’s Word says about food and healthy eating
• Learn how to put and keep food in its proper place in your life
• Practice healthy eating habits

Practical Action Today

Just for today… Start the process by establishing a starting point.

Consider the following and begin committing these concerns to prayer:

1. What’s your biggest challenge with healthy eating? Emotional eating? Portion control? Late-night eating?
2. Commit to prayer each day of this Fast the biggest challenges with healthy eating that you have identified above.

Prayer

“Lord, I thank You that You and You alone will satisfy me. Despite my attempts to find the right foods to end these cravings, I know that true satisfaction can only come from You. So as I embark on this time of searching for the right foods and right diets, remind me that it’s not about what I eat that will make me feel whole, but what You can and will do in my life when I lay down all of my idols and everything that keeps me from having fellowship with You. As I discover new insights in this devotional, remind me that information without revelation from You will not transform me, so I continue to press into You. I feed on Your Word and move away from everything that keeps me from having sweet communion with You. It’s Your Word that I’m really craving, and I purpose to stay full of it each and every day. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen!”

Morenzie, Cathy. Healthy Eating, God's Way: Weight Loss Devotional and Challenge: (Healthy by Design). Guiding Light Publishing.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Download Fasting Guide

Listen To Sacred Whispers Playlist

As you read today's devotional, play "YOUR GREAT NAME" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.

Spiritual

GOD BRINGS GOOD OUT OF EVIL

By Marlin D. Harris

“But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Genesis 50:19-20 

I, and a group of missionaries from our church, were on a short-term missions trip in Liberia, West Africa. We had set up a makeshift clinic in the little village town of Salala, Liberia, and a group of doctors, dentists, and volunteers were providing treatment to the patients who traveled from miles away and were thronging our clinic for medical treatment.  There was a mother who was carrying her newborn baby and had been waiting in line for her baby to be seen by a doctor now for hours.  We noticed her in the line and quickly pulled her away and took her in to visit with the pediatrician who traveled with us on this trip.  When we uncovered the blanket that this baby was wrapped in, our eyes met the saddest sight many of us had ever seen in our time of doing foreign missions.  This baby was nothing more than tiny bones thinly covered by a frail layer of skin.  There was no fatness to the baby’s flesh, and the skin had dried and was beginning to crack. 

This was the worst case of malnutrition that our American doctors had ever witnessed.  Immediately our hearts broke as the nurses and doctors attending to this child all began to weep while they feverishly worked.  The first thing to do was to begin a small IV of fluids to help nourish this baby.  Her little life depended on receiving that IV. The problem was that her flesh was completely nonexistent and there was no good place to insert the needle.  The doctors poked and prodded her body trying to find a suitable place to insert the needle.  When an insertion point was found, this frail, emaciated baby began to let out the loudest screams she possibly could to counteract the pain that she was experiencing.  Despite her screams, the doctors absolutely could not stop.  They had to pierce her skin, inflict great pain on this completely frail child and insert the needle.  Not one person in the room had the heart to watch.  Slowly, after the torture of being pierced was over, the fluid began to flow, and the baby’s life was saved. It was in that moment that I sensed the quiet voice of God saying, “this is what it feels like when I bring good out of what you call evil”. 

Joseph is an important figure in the historical faith of the Old Testament Jews.  He stands as a representative champion for many of us today. From his humble beginnings to his ‘multicolored coat,’ to his slavery and imprisonment, to his revelatory gifts, to his remarkable ascent to political power, Joseph’s story of faith reveals many profound truths that does for us what the Psalmist declared when he said, ‘You O Lord, will show me the path of life’.

In Genesis 50:19–20, when Joseph finally reveals himself to the brothers who betrayed him, he uses these halting words: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Though Joseph’s path was treacherous and life-threatening, it led him to a place where he could save his people, along with the Egyptians, during the bleak years of widespread famine.  Could it be that all of his pain and betrayal was meant for this one climactic experience of his life? God had made all of the struggle and the suffering worth it. 

Joseph saved hundreds of thousands of people because he was willing to suffer great disappointment and continuous tragedy.  Just because life hurts you, doesn’t mean that you have necessarily been harmed.  Joseph’s words ring true – God meant it for good.  The wondrous beauty of this amazing power of God is that God is able to bring the greatest good out of the most painful evil.  No evil has the right of ownership over our lives.  Evil is only a tenant, soon to be evicted.  Such as in the case of that little baby in Liberia, Africa, evil may be the needle, but God’s goodness is the life-giving fluid that somehow flows through it.

Joseph serves as a type of Christ. Jesus, who is the Great Deliverer from the Bondage of Sin, was done tremendous harm beyond compare.   Who can deny that rejection by one’s own countrymen, betrayal by one’s own friend, a torturous scourging by trained Roman soldiers and ultimately a slow execution on a wooden cross is more evil than any man can abide?  The weight of this evil is multiplied without measure when you consider that all of this was done to the sinless Son of God.  The One we should be worshipping was the One that we are crucifying.  Could it be that the enormity of our shame is what made the prophet Isaiah exclaim “we hid as it were our faces from Him…”? (Isaiah 53:3)

Though the sufferings of Christ are much to take in, the Father had a glorious purpose living in the backdrop behind it all.  The Father planned our redemption in every lash of the whip that lacerated his back.  He ordained our forgiveness in each drop of blood that oozed from his writhing body and thorn-pierced brow.  God authorized his punishment so that you and I could be at peace.  When He cried from the cross, He was paying our debt with His every breath.  Like Joseph before him, all that the enemy intended for evil in Jesus’ life, God turned it into good.

In some degree, is not the story of Joseph and even Jesus, also our story.  Is not the evil that blows into our lives with the force of a thousand hurricanes, under the ultimate control of our God.  Will He not stop the enemy from his relentless desire to steal, kill, and destroy.  Tell me, are we not ‘more than conquerors through him that loves us’ (Romans 8:37)? 

God, who restores the years of our hurts, takes all the evil and pain and suffering and hopelessness in our lives, and ‘works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28).  After all of your tears, and your anguish, you are still standing.  You and I are living proof that Jesus brings good from evil.  Pause here to worship with me! Our God turns evil into good!  The final outcome of the hardest of circumstances belongs to Him and to Him alone.

You need not be enslaved to the power of evil or its effects in your life anymore.  Fear over the hard days you may be facing has lost its authority to command your daily thoughts, emotions, and actions.  Today you can rest in the assurance that you are loved, protected and that God is working all things out for your good—to his glory.

Prayer

Father, I thank you that you are always converting the hard stories in our lives into radiant testimonies of your faithfulness.  During this fast, I defer and surrender to your work in the midst of the challenges I am facing. I revel in your promise to “make all things new” (Rev. 21:5) when you come again in all your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Daily Spiritual Exercise

Is there a hard story in your life that God has turned around for good?  Take a moment today to write down that story and make it a point to share it with someone that you know is going through a hard season right now. Your heartbreak of yesterday is now a beautiful and important part of your testimony of God’s faithfulness. Like Joseph, how has God used your story to impact the lives of others around you?

Physical

[1] Morenzie, Cathy. Healthy Eating, God's Way: Weight Loss Devotional and Challenge: Calm Your Cravings, Overcome Obsessing, Hone Healthy Habits, and Build Biblical Boundaries (Healthy by Design). Guiding Light Publishing

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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As you read today's devotional, play "NO BONDAGE" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.

Spiritual

FREEDOM FROM vs. FREEDOM FOR

By Matthew Pryor

(Content Taken From The Body Tithe Devotional, Spiritual Encouragement for Your Journey)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

Ever heard about the behavioral study where data was gathered on a playground? Surrounded by a fence, the playground was a flurry of activity for students in their free time. Swinging. Sliding. Laughing. Life was good. Then, researchers removed the fence. When the kids went out for recess the next day, they stayed mostly huddled in the middle of the playground. Now unsure about exploring, they were apprehensive and uneasy. The researchers put the fence back and the next day, and all the running, playing and carrying on returned. It was back to business as usual for the children. The fence gave them a sense of security. That security translated into greater confidence, and the fun followed.

At first glance, it would be hard to see how the fence boundaries gave the children freedom, but they did, and not just freedom “from” negative things, such as the temptation to wander off or the threat of dangerous people entering the playground. The boundaries also gave them freedom “for” things, such as exploring the playground, climbing on the equipment, and playing tag.  That’s the flip side of freedom, and more specifically, freedom in Christ. Jesus doesn’t only release us from the negative: bondage to sin, guilt, performance-based acceptance, the law of sin, etc. He liberates us for the enjoyment of the positive: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, for starters: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”–Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

This means that, as Christians, we can celebrate being released from the yoke of slavery. We can also take great delight in the blessings God has orchestrated for our pleasure. Some people say that you should not merely try to eliminate a bad habit. If you do, you leave an empty spot for that habit to return. You’ll be more likely to change your behavior if you replace the old habit with a new one.

Our mental outlook regarding our bodies should be no different. We are far too focused on what we are giving up: junk food, time, TV or Internet or books, and magazines, money, energy, resources, etc. Instead of focusing only on the sacrifice (i.e., junk food, time, TV, etc.), we should focus on the reward. We should replace the thoughts of what we’re freeing ourselves from with thoughts of what we’re freeing ourselves for.

We are freeing ourselves for things such as playing with our kids or grandkids without losing our breath. Savoring the countless all-natural foods God created for our taste buds to enjoy. Having sustained energy throughout the day. Minimizing potential injuries. Being less self-conscious in our swimsuit at the beach. Lessening the likelihood of being struck with certain diseases. Serving our neighbors, church, and community at a higher capacity. Running a 5K, or mini-marathon. Or taking a well-deserved Sunday afternoon nap.

This kind of freedom—the freedom “for”—is part of His perfect plan for our lives, wherever we are. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Imagine! That same spirit resides in us, in our hearts. Wherever we are . . . freedom! The freedom He set us free for—the very freedom that lives in us—is a complete freedom . . . with two sides! The “from” and the “for”—both are designed for our benefit. Both are designed for His glory.

Prayer

Father, thank You for not just freeing me from sin. Thank You also for freeing me to enjoy You, that You might be glorified. Will You forgive me when I fail to remember all that You’ve freed me to enjoy? Please help me to live a life characterized by the freedom You have given me. I am free for Your glory. Amen.

Daily Spiritual Exercise

The Living Bible Translation of Psalm 34:4 says, “For I cried to him and he answered me! He freed me from all my fears.” What great comfort that He answers and that He answers in favor of freedom.  Psalm 34 might be a good starting place for 3 to 5 minutes of ‘Worship and Prayer’ for today. It certainly is a great reminder of what the Lord is doing for us. As you pray, remember that freedom in Christ is freedom to enjoy the life He has designed for us—a life lived with that design is the freest of all, and consequently where we will bring Him the most glory.

Pryor, Matthew. The Body Tithe Devotional: Spiritual Encouragement For Your Fitness Journey (pp. 157-159). Sophros.

Physical

TRANSFORMATION – YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

By Loretta Shelton

“Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has received him.”

Romans 14:3  (NKJV)

Our health depends on wise nutrition. The food we eat is assimilated into our bodies and becomes our nails, skin cells, and blood.  In a real sense, we are actually becoming what we eat.  In the same way, we are actually becoming—emotionally and spiritually—what we put into our minds. Proverbs 23:7 is the biblical version of you are what you eat. It says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” 

Are you looking for a health transformation?  If you want to see a transformation in your health and overall physical well-being, I recommend that you rethink how you view the purpose of food in your life.

We become what we eat and healthy nutrition is the foundation of self-respect and the personal care of your body.  Paul provides input regarding eating in Romans 14:3 - “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats, for God has received him.” 

During Paul’s time, some Jewish Christians had grown little in their faith and kept old Jewish food laws.  Other Christians ate all types of food.  Christians should not look down or criticize the eating habits of their fellow believers whether they are carnivores or vegetarians or some combination in between.  God accepts the eating habits of both groups.  Christians should not judge whether meat is ingested nor the type of drink. There should also be no judgment or disrespect of a religious day or observance of the Sabbath as it relates to spiritual well-being, physical well-being, and overall health.  

I am a pescatarian and have transformed my health and physical abilities by following the tips below. My incentive was my physician who classified me as obese, which was noted in my medical records and subsequently forwarded to my insurance company.  My motivation was a desire for “transformation”.  I was motivated to control what was in my realm of control and implement action plans to meet my physical targets.  I lost over 40 pounds and have maintained my weight loss goal/s for over 6 months. I achieved this goal by limiting my intake of processed foods, cutting back on restaurant eating, and eliminating the consumption of fast food.  I also committed to drinking more water (daily).  (Note: Consult your physician or any other health care practitioner before attempting any recommendations presented below.) ­­­­­

In the transformation process, remember that “your being is impacted by your doing”.  Therefore, one of the first elements of discipline is how you view food and how you control your hunger.  The thought is that if you can control what you eat and drink you can control anything else in your life with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Let food be an incentive to give you the fuel needed to help your body transform and function as the Lord designed it so that you can be spiritually, mentally and physically equipped to fulfill God’s kingdom business.  In working toward this transformation, continually recognize that “You Are What You Eat”!

Practical Action Today: 

• Food Intake: It is recommended that 75% of daily food intake should be from plant-based foods.
• Eat Clean: The idea is to consume foods that are as close to their natural state as possible (e.g. more fresh vegetables and fruits, limit processed foods, try organic produce, avoid trans fats, eat less saturated fats and focus on good fats).
• Beverages: Severely reduce soda and sugary drinks from your intake; drink more water. It is recommended that individuals drink (in ounces) at least half of their body weight in water daily (e.g. 180 lb. individual should drink 90 oz. of water).
• Less Worry, More Sleep: Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep; turn off any distractions, such as a T.V. or anything that will interrupt your sleeping pattern.
• Less Processed Sugar, More Fruits: Consume fresh fruits instead of cake, cookies donuts, and candy.
• Less Meat, More Veggies: Fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. 
• Healthy Choices: Re-purpose your refrigerator to include healthy choices for snacks (e.g. cut-up fresh veggies, washed fresh fruit, hard-boiled egg, or any other healthy protein source).

PRAYER:

Loving Father, I thank You that You have made me in a fearful and wonderful way.  My body is Your temple and dwelling place on this earth, so Lord make me a wise and diligent steward of it.  May the foods I nourish it with, be the foods that will bring it the greatest amount of health and wholeness.  Lord strengthen me to resist when I am tempted to satisfy my cravings with things that will not bring me health.  May this conviction extend to not only my food but to my thinking, my relationships, my entertainment, my pleasures, and all things that my life and heart enjoy.  Make me Your vessel, and a house unto Your Name.  In Your Name, I pray, Amen.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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As you read today's devotional, play "ATMOSPHERE SHIFT" from the Sacred Whispers Playlist.

Spiritual

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

By Marlin D. Harris

“For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place, like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

Isaiah 18:4

One of the strangest and most difficult things to understand is the ‘silence of God’.  When the heat of our circumstances seems to beat down upon our brow without mercy, God’s silence is simply baffling.

A young teenager from an ancient Aboriginal tribe is out in the thick woods on his first hunt with his father.  His father had taken extra care to keep his son close to him and under his protective eye. However, when they rounded the corner of a low-lying thicket, they were, at once, staring in the face of a hungry wolf.  The young boy is struck with a paralyzing terror, yet the father stands firm and is oddly and completely silent.  The boy clings to his father for dear life and buries his head in his leathery leg coverings.  The wolf snarls and paces, yet the father remains silent and doesn’t say a word.  He simply stares at the wolf and never takes his gaze off of him.  Then, almost as quickly as the wolf had appeared, he turned around and trotted away. 

The boy asked his dad, why he was so quiet.  Why didn’t he say something? Why did he not do anything? The father calmly turned to his inquisitive son and said, “I did.  I stood my ground and looked him in the eye, and he knew that I was ready to fight to the death for you.”  The father said, “me and the wolf were talking in a language without words”.   The truth is that when it seems that God is silent, that is when He is staring the enemy in the eye and communicating with a language that we frail human beings could not understand.  When the voice of God can’t be heard, that is when His eyes are piercingly fierce.  Though it may seem that God is not talking to us, He is certainly speaking to our adversary, and He has already demonstrated that He will fight on our behalf, so much so that He Himself became a man in Jesus Christ, and died for us by the cruelty of the cross. 

In the passage above, Assyria is marching against Ethiopia, whose people are described as “a nation scattered and peeled” (v. 2,7). As the army advances, God makes no effort to stop them, and it appears as though they will be allowed to do as they wish. The Lord is watching from His “dwelling place” while the sun continues to shine on them, yet “before the harvest” (v. 5) the entire proud army is defeated as easily as new growth is pruned from a vine.

Isn’t this a beautiful picture of God—remaining quiet and yet fighting on our behalf with His fierce countenance? Please do not ever confuse His silence with passive agreement or consent. He is making His presence known, and has merely turned His attention from speaking to us, to speaking to the enemies that seek to ravish us.  In a realm where our eyes cannot see, there are ‘horses and chariots of fire’ (2 Kings 6:17) all around us waiting to respond at the command of the Lord of Hosts.  God has proven repetitively in our lives that He will arise at the most opportune moment, just when the plans of the wicked are on the verge of success, in order to overwhelm the enemy with disaster. And as we see the evil of this world, as we watch the apparent success of wrongdoers, and as we suffer the oppression of those who hate us, let us remember those miraculous words of our strong and mighty God—“I will remain quiet and will look on.”

Yes, God does have another point of view, and there is wisdom behind His words. Why did Jesus watch His disciples straining at the oars through the stormy night? Why did He, though unseen by others, watch the sequence of anguishing events unfold in Bethany as Lazarus slowly passed through the stages of his terminal illness, succumbed to death, and was finally buried in a rocky tomb? And shall we even mention, why did the Father watch in silence as the Roman soldiers were nailing His Son to a wooden cross and the hordes of hell glistened with glee as the Holy Son of God bore the sins of the world? 

In each of these moments, trust me, God was certainly not silent!  He was simply speaking with a language that you and I could not understand, yet it was one in which all the evils of hell knew very well.  He was in the shadows, staring down the enemy and waiting for the perfect moment to bring His decisive victory.  In my life, and in yours, He has done this time and time again.

Is the Lord being quiet with you? Confidently rest in the truth that He is attentive and sees all that you are facing.  You are not alone. He has His finger on your pulse and is extremely sensitive to even the slightest change. And He will come to your rescue when His Perfect Will has been achieved.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the calm reassurance that when You are silent, You are working.  I believe that You are working on my behalf, facing the enemy that I cannot conquer on my own.  You are my champion in the fight, my anchor in the storm, and my hope that eradicates all despair.  Thank You for Your faithfulness to me.  May I learn to trust You in the quiet seasons, and cling ever closer to You when the wolf appears. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

Daily Spiritual Exercise

Stop. Spend 15 minutes today listening to the voice whispering in the quiet of your heart.  Do Hear Him? In the quiet is when He is speaking the loudest.  That stirring in your heart; that is God.  Only He can nurture your soul.

Physical

SPIRIT-LED EATING – AN ACT OF WORSHIP

By Thea Dennard and Pastor Marlin Harris

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering (an act of worship).”

Romans 12:1 (MSG)

Healthy eating and dieting are very mental because people often eat according to how they feel or based on emotions.  As long as we look at our food, or our money, or our jobs, or even our families as something simply for us to consume for our own emotional pleasure, we will find that those things will never satisfy or fulfill us.  In fact, God never intended for food to fulfill us.  This is why the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write in the Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 6:13 “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them.”  This means that even though food is important for our bodies, it was never meant to have any eternal value to our souls.  Food, and the mortal bodies that it feeds, will ultimately one day all be destroyed; only the spirit and the soul remains immortal. 

The only thing that can make our lives whole and give us a deep, lasting sense of meaning is not food, but only God himself.  Saint Augustine was right when he said “our hearts are restless, until we find our rest in Him”.  So many people use food for something that it was never intended to do.  It may give us an escape, or uplift our hearts for the moment, but soon the ‘high’ it brings wears off, and we are back in the mundane, stressful existence that we so desperately try to escape.  The fact is that you and I should be joyfully living out our purpose until we simply have no desire to abuse food or to overeat.

Eating is much more an act of the mind than it is an act of the body.  The fact that we eat may very well be physiological, but what we choose to eat is doubtlessly mental.  When the mind is depressed, either because of loneliness, anger, grief, trauma, or simply boredom, it often turns to food to bring it comfort.  However, it can be catastrophic to allow our minds to be controlled by these external circumstances of life.  Renewing the mind actually means daily turning the thoughts and meditations of our minds over to the Spirit and Word of God.  Romans 8:6 [ESV] says,

“The mind that is governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”  [emphasis mine]

A decision to eat healthily should be at its core a spiritual decision to feed our body the necessary nutrients that it needs in order to foster a healthy and vibrant spiritual life.   I have found that I can’t be my best for God, my family, and my career, when my body is sluggish, unhealthy, and ‘ill-nourished’.  No person can repetitively harm his body, without also doing harm to his spirit.

Spirit-led eating is the practice of paying attention to how the food we eat glorifies God and serves His purposes. It is an awareness of how your food nourishes your body, soul, and spirit; an acknowledgment of God’s role in the food we eat by giving Him thanks for it, and a recognition that food is a gift from God.[1]  When I am eating healthily, my mind, body, and spirit are all involved in the meal.  This is genuine self-harmony.  At every meal, “all” of me comes to sit at the table and be nourished.  Perhaps this is why Jesus chose to use the act of eating as a fitting example of the Holy Communion that we have with Him and that He has with us.  The various aspects of our being are never more in sync with each other than when we are eating.  Our mind has chosen the best foods to satisfy the hunger of our bodies, which in turn will give it health so that it can serve as a house for our spirits a little longer, which enables us to serve the purposes of God. 

Let’s move now from the mental and spiritual aspect of healthy eating to actually “walking it out”.

Practical Action Today: 

A few tips for starting your new healthy lifestyle journey:

1)    Clean out the junk food from your pantry and refrigerator. Give it away or throw it away.

2)    Take a mental note of your local or main grocery store and visualize the food items on the outermost aisles of the store, this is called the ‘perimeter’ of the grocery store.  The items found in the perimeter of grocery stores are usually fresher and less processed food items.

3)    Go back to your healthy alternative list of food items that you wrote down on Day 1 of this Fast, and evaluate how many can be found in your grocery store’s perimeter. If many of them are still located in the center aisles of the store, see if you can tweak your healthy options/alternatives to ones that can be found or created from items found in the perimeter of the store.

4)    Create your grocery list for the week. Be sure to add healthy snacks to eat between meals.

NOTE: The best way to shed unwanted bodyweight is with a faster working metabolism. One easy way to speed up your metabolism is by eating more frequently.

Try eating smaller, healthy meals every 3 hours. For example:

7:00 am - Breakfast

10:00 am - Snack

1:00 pm - Lunch

4:00 pm - Afternoon Snack

7:00 pm - Dinner

5)    Before you go to the store, do a quick internet search on “how to read food labels” to educate yourself on what you should be looking for when reading things such as serving information, calories, nutrients, and the percent daily value (% DV).

6)    Go grocery shopping! It’s almost impossible to eat healthy and frequently (try not to skip meals) when you eat out or on the go 24/7.

Prayer:

Father, I pray that you will grant me the wisdom and the sensitivity to know that everything in my life is meant to glorify You, including the food that you have so richly blessed me to be able to enjoy.  Free me from the enslavement to ‘food-pleasure’ that I am so easily entrapped by, and allow me to know what true freedom in Christ really is.  Empower me to live a whole, deep and satisfying life that is not controlled by what I eat, what I wear, what I drive, or where I live, but rather by Your Divine Presence and nothing more.  Let me daily be ravished and engulfed by Your love. In Your Name, Amen.

[1] Morenzie, Cathy. Healthy Eating, God's Way: Weight Loss Devotional and Challenge (Healthy by Design). Guiding Light Publishing. Kindle Edition

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Download Fasting Guide

Listen To Sacred Whispers Playlist