My ten-year old daughter loves Claire's. Claire's is a mall chain store that has everything you ever thought of to accessorize any outfit from handbags, to shoes, to necklaces and earrings of all colors, shapes, and sizes. She received a gift card for her birthday and can not wait to spend it. This shopping adventure came to mind while I was reading in the book of I Timothy when I came across the word adorn. Claire's is the perfect adorning shop for a modern day outfit, but I Timothy 2 says that we should,as women adorn ourselves modestly, soberly, without gold and pearls. The next verse goes on to say we should instead array ourselves with good works. What a different kind of accessory store that would be. According to this scripture, My daughter and I should be spending more time looking for good works, purity, and godliness instead of earrings, purses, and shoes. I Peter 3 in the RSV gives the thought that we should be developing the "hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." I loved the wording of this verse. I want my daughter to be an imperishable jewel that God views as precious. How do I help make that happen? I need to take her shopping daily in the Word of God and help her pick out a gentle and quiet spirit, a spirit that represents inward beauty and not just outward adornment. I want her to be known by her inward,spiritual beauty not just her outward, physical beauty. I want her life to attract others to Christ. I believe this is the heart of what Paul was trying to convey in these scriptures. I do not only desire it for her but for myself as well. Maybe we should spend a little more time in God's accessory shop, the Bible ....and a little less time in Claire's!
2 Timothy 2:9-10 "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But(which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." KJV
Titus 2:10b "...that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."KJV
Also Read I Peter 3:3-5
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Pretty Feet
Warning! This blog entry is not for the faint of heart! I long for pretty feet! I used to have pretty young looking feet, but as I get older the young skin has vanished and the not so good-looking rough and calloused feet have emerged. Anybody with me? I know a good pedicure would help but money is tight so I have gone to the store and picked up some self help products in hopes of improving their present condition. I purchased some corn and callous remover, a scrub to help alleviate cracks and roughness, etc. With all these products, I find my new foot routine is taking more and more time just trying to repair what went wrong. Would it not have been easier to prevent the callouses to start with instead of trying to rub and scour them away later? Spiritually speaking, the Bible addresses this topic several places by asking us, as Christians, to "Harden not our hearts".
The Strong's Complete Dictionary of Bible Words says harden has the meaning of being "dry, hard, tough or to render stubborn." Exodus talks about how Pharaoh's heart was hardened toward the Israelites and the Lord. Psalm 95 mentions how the Israelites hardened their hearts to the voice of the Lord in the wilderness which caused their forty years of wandering. Hebrews pleads with us to hear the voice of God today to keep our hearts from being hardened by sin. We must guard against sin, listen for the Savior's voice and exercise obedience in order to keep our hearts from forming hard spots or calluses toward God and His word. As with my feet, our hearts are harder to clean up after the calluses have formed. Save yourself from painful, wasted years of regret by keeping your heart open and your ears tuned to hear his voice, today.
Psalm 95:7-8 "For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is still called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
The Strong's Complete Dictionary of Bible Words says harden has the meaning of being "dry, hard, tough or to render stubborn." Exodus talks about how Pharaoh's heart was hardened toward the Israelites and the Lord. Psalm 95 mentions how the Israelites hardened their hearts to the voice of the Lord in the wilderness which caused their forty years of wandering. Hebrews pleads with us to hear the voice of God today to keep our hearts from being hardened by sin. We must guard against sin, listen for the Savior's voice and exercise obedience in order to keep our hearts from forming hard spots or calluses toward God and His word. As with my feet, our hearts are harder to clean up after the calluses have formed. Save yourself from painful, wasted years of regret by keeping your heart open and your ears tuned to hear his voice, today.
Psalm 95:7-8 "For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:"
Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another daily, while it is still called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
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