Tag: inner man

Beautifying the Temple

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“And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty…” 2 Chronicles 3:6

The house of God, have we lost our wonder and respect for such an edifice? The specified place designated for drawing near to His holy presence. The place ordained by His Spirit for the saint to come and be refreshed, and to learn what thus saith the Lord. The place for the sinner to find refuge if he will but hide himself in the salvation offered there.

Solomon did everything in his power to beautify this sacred space. Other kings had other gods with other buildings of worship. But for the King of all kings, and the one and only true living God, Creator of all, he knew he could not do enough to honor the Holy Presence there. Yet, he would do what he could because God deserved this and more for this designated meeting place.

The wonder and respect for the Lord God over all compelled him to lay out the best of the best to honor Him.

But Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), speaking of His body regarding His death and resurrection. Paul goes on to say, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Are we taking such care as Solomon did in beautifying and honoring the temple? How are we caring for the temple within?

My friends, whether we be in a building we designate as the house of God, or be it the temple within, let us remember to bring honor to the place where God’s Spirit dwells. Never lose the awe and wonder over such a sacred assembly.

Take away anything that mars the beauty, stop any practice that brings dishonor and replace it with ornaments of grace (Proverbs 3:22), remembering we are “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

May we bring our own precious stones of praise and honor to beautify His house.

In the finiteness of our humanity, Father God, You deserve so much more glory, honor, and praise.

Text Free Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Praise From God

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Many of us are familiar with the sons of Jesse being ceremoniously paraded before the prophet Samuel to see who would be anointed as the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16).

As with most people, Samuel viewed the potential candidates according to what he could see, judging by their physical appearance.  But it was God who interrupted his erroneous train of thought and informed Samuel the criteria by which He judges is far from the world of human perspective, saying, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Praise from God will never be about what everyone else sees.  Praise from God will never be given based on what is done on the outside of an individual.  Outward rituals and performances never impress our God so much as the inner moving of one’s heart.

God has always been in love with the inner man, for it is only in that place of hiddenness where one’s true character and motives reside.  In this place, God’s eyes and knowing go beyond the scope of the visible.  God’s view of a person is more thorough in reach and scope than any human eye can fathom in that secret place inside.

People work strenuously to put on a show for others.  Do the right things, say the right words, and they will see that you are a good person.   Performance in a certain way will gain you the right audience and praise from people, right?

How we behave on the outside can be an overflow of the true character on the inside, but this is not always so.  While things may look good on the outside, the heart is what matters to God the most. And it is what’s in the heart that receives praise from God.

Paul wrote in Romans, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:28-29; emphasis mine), meaning it doesn’t matter the rituals and performances one does on the outside to make themselves to appear to be a child of God, rather it is “the circumcision is that of the heart” that matters most.

My friend, we are living for the praise of God, living to please Him with our lives.  Outward rituals will never impress Him like a true heart that has been changed from the inside out instead of one trying to work righteousness from the outside in.

There are a lot of things that can touch your heart, but when living for God and loving Him touches it more, then something beautiful takes place there.  Something that cannot be ignored by the Father.

Prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Psalm 139:23-24. 

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