November 21, 2024

Living Sanctuary

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Do you not know that you are the temple of God
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16 HCSB

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Ouch!  This verse steps all over my toes.  Especially right now.  We just made a rush trip to Texas this weekend to visit an old friend who is in the end stages of liver failure.  It was emotional and stressful.  We also spent time with other friends that we haven’t seen in ages.  Not to mention all the yummy foods available in Texas that we can’t get here in Colorado.  (Can you say Tex-Mex heaven?)  I overindulged repeatedly…justifying my actions because it would be a loooong time before I could have such goodies again. The NLT version asks, “Do you not realize…”? The AMP version questions, “Do you not discern and understand…”?  Did I even think about being a living sanctuary—God’s temple?  Not really.

For we are the sanctuary of the living God…
2 Corinthians 6:16

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple.
What’s more, you are His holy priests.
1 Peter 2:5 NLT

As I read this verse, I thought about what a temple or sanctuary actually is….

Wikipedia defines a temple as “a temple (from the Latin word templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur.”
Dictionary.com defines a temple as “any place or object in which God dwells.”
Dictionary.com and Wikipedia both state a sanctuary is “a sacred or holy place.”

So, I am a ‘sacred precinct’, a ‘holy place’ where God dwells.  Am I taking care of it properly?

Rick Warren puts it like this: “When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.”  That is a very scary thought because I sure haven’t been treating my body as I would something sacred and holy!

And I “know” all this.  Why do I find it so hard to put this knowledge into action?  God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in me!  But there are times you would never know it by my behavior.  James 4:4 HCSB asks

“Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?
So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.”

Yet I still can’t seem to do what I know is right!

Romans 7:21 NLT describes this perfectly: “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.”  The struggle is constant and real.  It is a battle I cannot win alone.  It would be very easy to feel hopeless and give up.  Thankfully, Psalm 73:26 NASB whispers to me: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

These verses remind me I do not have to do it alone:

The Lord hears His people <me> when they <I> call to Him for help.
He rescues them <me> from all their <my> troubles.
Psalm 34:17 NLT

God is our <my> Refuge and Strength; always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NLT

For You have rescued me from my troubles
and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Psalm 54:7 NLT

God will give me victory over my fleshly desires if I call out to Him. He is always there…waiting to help…if I am willing to give control to Him.

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Father, gently remind me that Your Spirit dwells permanently in me.  Let my actions reflect that I am a sacred and holy place.  Taking care of Your temple, Your sanctuary is in itself an act of worship and gratitude.  Thank You for being there…a proven help when I struggle.  I am so thankful Your mercies are new each day and that I do not have to do this on my own.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen – It is so!

Love Letters From God

My story is made up of many love letters written from my heart to God’s heart and from His to mine.  I open up to Him with a pen in my hand and a journal in my lap.  The Lord speaks to me through my writings and I am beyond excited to share with you bits and pieces of different letters I have from God.  I share parts of my story so that God’s love, power, grace, forgiveness, and perfectness may be showcased.  As you read I pray the Lord grabs a hold of your heart and fills you with hope!

 

The righteous cry out and the Lord hears them, He delivers them from all their troubles. 

Psalm 34:17 

 

 

One night, one very dark, painful, terrified night I cried out to the Lord….

Dear God,

I am crying out to You right now for lack of any better ideas.  I do not know if You will hear me.  You are probably so mad at me and You probably do not want to talk to me ever again.  I know that I have made a mess of everything.  I know I should not go back to my sinful ways but I cannot stop.  I do not want to go back to the things that cause so much hurt and pain in my life.  Is there anything that will not cause me pain?  Is there anyone who will ever love me?  If my sorry is worth anything at all, I am sorry.  If my love is worth anything at all, I love You.  I am desperate, I am at a loss.

These feelings bottled up inside are toxic, Lord: I am being used, I am being taken advantage of, I do not have a voice in these trials or an open door to walk away.  I am miserable.  I am in pain.  I am choosing wrong over right and do not know how to stop.  I am going back to someone who is trying to kill me.  Please Lord, just DO IT FOR ME, I CANNOT DO IT.

That night, the Lord did it, He did it all! (I cry every time I remember that night and remember these words He spoke directly to my heart…)

Love Letters from God

Precious Daughter of Mine,

I not only hear your cry, but I feel the pain behind each and every one of your tears.  I am here; never will I leave you, NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU.  You are weak, but I am strong.  I will do it all for you.  My love is worth it all and I love you, Diane.  My forgiveness covers your sins.  You are forgiven, Diane.

I never stopped loving you; I will never stop loving you.  I will take all of the weight of your burdens in My hands, where they belong.  You are mine, and I will not let anyone harm you.  I will give you EVERYTHING you need to fight temptations.  I will open your eyes to the door that has been here all along, waiting for you to walk through out of your past and into My abundant future for you.

I am holding your heart.  I have been waiting patiently for you to give up so I could step in and give you My all.  Please, promise to always accept My love in every situation you encounter in your life.

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Dear Lord,

There are no words this side of Heaven to thank You enough for what You have done in my life.  You have turned my painful tears into happy ones.  You have saved me from a life of sin and have prepared the most abundant life for me to live out with You by my side always!  You have waited for me to turn to You. You healed my broken heart.  You fixed my mess.  You did it all and I am forever thankful.  I wish there was a word I could use to express this feeling of complete adoration I have for You—but every time, I come up empty.

I promise to love You with my words, with my actions, with my WHOLE LIFE.  Thank You for giving me the most beautiful love story with You; one my soul has been longing for ever since I was born.  My heart will continue to long for You until that glorious day when You will finally give me the words I have been searching for, all for You!

With Love,

Your Free Daughter

 

Questions for Reflection:

  1.  Have you ever cried to God out of complete desperation?  Did you believe He would hear you?  Are you scared to for fear that He will not care or hear you?  The Lord is waiting patiently to speak the words you need directly to YOUR HEART; will you let Him?
  2. The Lord wants you to give up so He can give you what you need.  Is there an area in your life where you are in desperate need of God’s healing touch?  Pray to God, letting Him into this area.  See what happens when you live constantly surrendered to God.  (Do not get discouraged if you have to continuously surrender…sometimes I have to give the same thing over to God many, many, many times a day!)
  3. One of my favorite verses is Galations 5:1 “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.”  Memorize this verse and remember that God offers you His freedom so you can live out the life He has perfectly planned for you.  It is your choice and I pray you choose His freedom always!

Love and Prayers, my dear Sisters,

Diane

© Diane Meyers



If you are interested in sending a private email to Diane in regards to this blog, please email her at: Diane@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.