Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
According to a popular story, a pilgrim decided to find the "Country of Truth." When the day of departure arrived, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and started out. How long some of the days felt! However, what great expectations filled his heart! Some of the days were wonderful: the landscape, the road and, above all, his travelling companions made for a great trip. Whenever he needed to renew his strength, he would stop by the roadside with his companions.
These breaks were absolutely essential in order to rest and eat, but he knew he could not take too many or he would never reach his goal. And so, day after day, month after month, rest after rest, the pilgrim continued until he reached his destination.
He was happy in the Country of Truth and every year he would undertake a fresh journey towards new destinations. In preparation, he had to train his body in order to reach his goal.
To be physically fit is certainly an emphasis in the world we live. Participating in sports, going to the gym, walking, being mindful of diet -- all these things help establish a fit body. Our body, however, is not our exclusive property, but belongs to God, who gave it to us. Above all, it is His body because He has bought it at a very high price: the blood of His Son, Jesus. This body we have is no longer ours, but God's, who inhabits it, as Paul writes in Corinthians: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
To destroy our body is to destroy something sacred God gives us. Therefore, let us not just care for its physical appearance, but let us also take every precaution to prevent harming it. Let us protect it from accidents and fights, excess drinking, cigarettes and drugs, excess food or exaggerated diets.
Let the fact of being a child of God, purchased by Christ, and being the temple of the living God in this world, be a challenge and lead you to care for your body and your health every day.
THE PRAYER: Beloved Father, keep us in Your care that we may always be able to serve You and love You with our body, soul, mind, and spirit, living and giving with joy. Amen.
Biography of Author:
This devotion was written by Guillermo Herigert, a Lutheran pastor in Uruguay. As a Lutheran Hour Ministries' volunteer, he works with LHM-Uruguay, a ministry established in 1999 serving this country of more than three million from its office in Montevideo. Programs like Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), Project JOEL, and Equipping the Saints (ETS) help spread the Gospel in this South American country.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 53-55 Romans 10
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