January 7
Yesterday was the official day of EPIPHANY...
celebrating when the wise men brought gifts to Jesus.
Whether Jesus was still a baby or a toddler doesn't really matter to the story.... They
HONORED Jesus, God's Son,
bringing of their BEST gifts to Him.
What of me? I wonder.
Like many persons, I can come up with legitimate reasons for being larger than what Society calls normal. Which is almost anorexic even by medical standards.
(There's Excuse #1.)
Correct medical tests were finally given, and say what I'd been telling doctors for 3 years...
that my exhaustion and continual weight creep-up was *not* from depression. I've been loving serving God with music, with writing, with adventures in prayer!
It was so encouraging to have the doctor look at my blood work and exclaim that I was "really working it" at the gym. And then to say that no, the thyroid medicine was not working so it wasn't my fault to not make progress...
Yet I COULD have done better.
I could have given God better.
I shake my head in wonder at the insults God describes in Malachi 1:8,
to people bringing gifts to Him (sacrifices). God asks,
| And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts." |
And yet how often am I concerned more for what
another person thinks of me
when I used food or shopping or hours-upon-hours of
TV watching as comforts...
than I am of God's opinion?
GOD'S ENCOURAGEMENT
Hebrews 13:8 -9, 15-16 (New American Standard Bible)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
PRAYER
LORD, You TRULY are my Lord. Forgive me when I put other things first.
Forgive me when I care about people's opinions more than of yours.
Help me to live in a way that PLEASES you.
Help me to enjoy sacrificing some of the old pleasures that keep me from focusing on you, I pray, in Jesus's Holy Name.
©2013 DianaDee Osborne; all rights reserved. But feel free to print with copyright info, & share for nonprofit usage!
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