Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Psalm 34:8 ESV
These weeks which we have endured in isolation have brought to mind the incredible mercies of God to our bodies, our family, community, and world. On the one hand, it could have been so much worse. On the other hand, God comforts those who are hurt and have suffered loss. With all the conversation around ‘distance’ living do you begin to feel you have a COVID body? God have mercy on us.
Lamentations 3: 19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
All hope is not lost because of Yahweh’s covenant love to his people. The Book of Romans is an open book for you and I to read of the testimony of God working in any one of our lives, every day. As the story concludes for the Apostle Paul his life is taken from him in that very city of Rome to which the book is written. Yes, God would have him write the following…
Romans 12:1-2 “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. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Why should a Christian sacrifice his/her body (my greatest familiarity) to become a book for others to read about Jesus?
Certainly, the point is made that God calls us to be a fully committed man/woman/child of God as a worshipper of him.
Another way of stating this same truth is, “I have apprehended how much of my body I owe to God’s mercy. My life as a Christian is built upon something… it just doesn’t come out of nowhere. My life is an open book and it has its roots in mercy, God’s mercy. Real, non-fiction mercy that is new every morning given from the generous hand of my loving perfect heavenly Father!
I (Pastor Mike) am thinking, when I apprehend how much I owe to the mercy of God, I WILL make all the right decisions to worship him, fear him, obey God in my body. My body matters. Every part of my body. All of my life in my body must and will change to give him honor and glory and praise!
More tomorrow:
· Do you have a right view of yourself?
· How do Christians moved and carried by mercy love each other, not just God?
· What does a mercy-moved church look like?
· Based upon your God-given mercies in the past, what will your future mercies be?
· HOW CAN I BEST BRING MY MIND ALONG WITH THE MERCIES GOD HAS GIVEN MY BODY? Romans 12:2
Lord God, we are mercy shaped people… mercy moved, mercy carried, mercy molded as the potter would form the clay. My life is first and foremost worshipful toward you my Holy, Almighty God, before it is merciful to others. Before I can give myself away to others, I must give myself away to You. Here today, I give to you my miserable body.
There is so little of my body that is by nature God-worshipping. I am a self-worshipper. I am so wrong as one created in your image. I give now my sin stained body in an upward look to you God. Forgive me. Bath me with your righteousness. My body will be a dedicated body to be a fit tool of worship to you and a good book for others to read. Amen.
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Pastor Mike Brubaker, DMin
860-537-3914
Christian Life Chapel Website
Christian Life Chapel
PO Box 91
392 South Main Street
Colchester, CT 06415