Ecc 3:11 HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME

 

Gen 1:3,4 God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light! And God saw the light that it was good (beautiful)

Everything God makes is beautiful! In Gen 1 at the close of each day of creation, God surveyed His work and saw that it was good. The word good means beautiful. God saw His creation was beautiful. On day 6 He said, “It is very beautiful” (Gen 1:31)

God has never created anything that is ugly poor or second-hand. NO! He has made everything beautiful in its time!

He has created you and I as new creations (2 Cor 5:17) He’s created us beautiful after the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

The fashion industry has done a successful job of playing on the insecurities of women: size, shape  lack of confidence, perfectionism, air brushed beauty etc. Some women are exhausted trying to be beautiful!

Jesus is calling Christian women to live out of their new creation reality in Christ. They are beautiful and perfect in Him! He’s looking for women to proclaim that there is freedom in Christ! Freedom from the yoke of the bondage of the law of the fashion industry! (Gal 5:1)

Gen 1:31 God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was very good (beautiful)

TRANSFORMATION (inward change) NOT CONFORMATION (outward molding)

Esther has been entered into a beauty contest to find the most beautiful woman for the king to marry. (Read Esther Ch 2)

She was under immense peer pressure to be the most beautiful contestant, to choose the best designer wardrobe and beauty preparations.

How did Esther respond to such pressure! She refused to allow others to set the agenda for her life. Esther was at rest and content within herself and trusted God to make a way for her. How do we know this? Because, in every which way she turned, the favour of God was upon her.

It was not Esther’s beauty that won her the hand of the king in marriage, it was the grace and favour of God.

Esther is a type of the body of Christ and as such, Christ will make sure His bride has everything she needs!

Est 2:15 When the turn came for Esther to go into the king, she requested nothing but what the king’s eunuch advised; and Esther obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her.

 ‘MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL!

‘MIRROR MIRROR NOW I SEE, THE CHRIST IN ME THAT SETS ME FREE!’

There is nothing wrong with being fashionable, up to the minute and stylish in the way we present ourselves!

 

As Christians we can react to fashion by claiming it is worldly, and after all, doesn’t God look on the heart? Yes He does, but He also looks at the whole man, spirit soul and body!

In our reaction, we push ourselves to the opposite extreme and become an anachronism! Lol! You may have to look up that word in the dictionary!

It’s when we look into the mirror and highlight the blemishes and imperfections that dissatisfaction, discontentment and hopelessness set in!

But be encouraged. The scriptures show us a better way. They say to us, “Do not look into the mirror of self, instead, look in the mirror of God’s word and see yourself as a reflection of Jesus Christ!

Read the word of God, not to look at what’s wrong with you but what’s right with you in Christ! He gave His life to set us free from every bondage and to experience contentment and rest in this life! (Phil 4:11-13)

2 Cor 3:18 We all, beholding the glory of The Lord in a mirror (the word of God) are being transformed into the same image!

Meditation Point:  When I see myself reflected in Jesus, all my imperfections vanish away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GOD’S NOT ANGRY WITH YOU!

Isa 54:9-10 “For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.  (NKJV)

Under the Old Covenant, God may have been slow to anger, but when He was angry, He was very angry! Why? He was angry because Israel had chosen to live by the law. Subsequently they had to live with the consequences when they broke it!

Ps 103:8 The LORD  is compassionate and gracious,  slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness.

(NASU)

Ps 106:29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,  and the plague broke out among them. (NASU)

Under the New Covenant however, Jesus chose to take upon Himself the punishment of God’s anger for the sin of the whole world. This appeasing of God’s anger enabled God to substitute His anger for His love, making the cross the greatest demonstration of His love for mankind!

1 Jn 4:10  In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to  be the sacrifice for our sins. (AMP)

The removal of God’s anger paved the way for God’s acceptance! Hence, no matter the depth of sin, repeated failure or the many mistakes we make, we are still accepted by the Father. His welcoming arms are always open towards us!

Eph 1:6  To the praise of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

AN OATH ATTACHED TO A PROMISE

Isa 54:9-10  ”For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you,” says the Lord.

In Hebrew culture, to make a promise was a declaration of intent by the person who made it, but they were not legally bound to keep that promise.

In order to make a promise legal and binding, an oath would be added! An oath meant to call on a higher or divine being to execute sanctions or curses against that person if they reneged on their promise. The Hebrews would invoke the name of Jehovah.

In Isa 54:9,10  God is promising to not be angry with the forthcoming people of the New Covenant. To enforce His promise He swears an oath to bind the promise. Because there is no one higher to call on, He swears by Himself!

Heb 6:13-18  For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. (NLT)

To add an oath was a cast iron declaration that the promise would be fulfilled! God loves us so much, He is determined to convince us that He means what He says and He says what He means: I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you!

The next time you are tempted to believe that God is angry with you, for whatever reason, use this promise with God’s oath attached to remind yourself and the devil, that God keeps His word under all circumstances.

Meditation Point: God’s promise with an oath attached is my cast iron guarantee that God will never again be angry with me. I am always accepted by Him because I am ‘In Christ!’

Phil 4:8  Meditate (think) on these things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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