In 2006 I suffered a stroke. I want to report that I
have experienced the awesome power of my God through His miraculous provision
of healing. From this incident it has become clear to me (once again) the need
to properly maintain this
“Or
do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
who
is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For
you
were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in
your spirit, which are God’s.”
Here the apostle Paul is reminding the saints in
Corinth a truth that you and I must heed to as well, and that is we are not
our own. Indeed we belong to God because He paid the price; He purchased
you and He purchased me. Now we are His. This is the message God is conveying
to you right now. Why? Because He needs for you to fully understand that
maintaining this temple of His – your body – is not an optional matter, it is
actually a matter of stewardship. Truth is developed for you in this verse:
Romans 12:1
“I
beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present
your
bodies a living sacrifice to God, which Is your reasonable service.
Apparently your physical body is important to God or He
would not have had Paul write about it. In fact your body is an important
element in God’s plan for you. This truth was made clear to me when I was lying
in the hospital bed during my season of healing after the stroke. This problem
stopped me in my tracks. I was in no condition to work; my ministry suffered
while my temple was undergoing repairs. My life and ministry had to be put on
hold during the restoration process.
I don’t know all there is to know about walking in
divine health, but because of what we read in Holy Scripture I truly believe we
can. We can because God has given to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, (II Peter 1:3) and included in
that little word “all” most surely is the divine blessing for God’s covenant
children of living above sickness and disease and apart from all calamity. The
Lord has promised us that we are always
led in triumph, (II Corinthians 2:14) and that promise must surely include
victory over the things that attack our physical bodies. Let us choose right
now to accept the words of God as truth and build our beliefs on them and
develop our faith because of them.
This teaching is not a teaching on divine health; it
is a reminder to be wise and one of the ways that translates in the stewardship
of God’s temple. And because of that we alone are held responsible for
maintaining it properly.
How do we do this?
1)
Be wise in a physical sense through adequate sleep, proper
diet, and daily exercise.
2)
Be wise by releasing the promised blessings of God on a daily
basis over your body – speak the Word of God because His words are your
medicine, they are your shield, and your victory! (Psalm 107:20)
3)
Be wise by placing your trust constantly and completely in
God – this eliminates stress. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
4)
Be wise and take a stand against the enemy daily; forbid the
evil one from working in your life. (Matthew 18:18)
I was
painfully reminded of the importance of practicing wisdom with regards to
maintaining my temple. I encourage you to hear my words and receive
instruction. Enjoy God’s very best in your life as you practice wisdom!
