The Temple

“Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1Corinthians 6:19-20

How many of us live as if our body was a holy dwelling place for the Spirit of God? I would guess that most of us don't think about it much--we live as if our bodies belonged to us--there to serve our needs, not God’s. We dress in garments that draw attention to us, not God. We do not train our bodies to be strong and healthy, but rather neglect the need for rest and exercise. We use food to excess, as a source of pleasure and comfort instead of nourishment. The things we see with our eyes and hear with our ears bring shame and disgrace to our bodies.

Yet God’s Word says we must honor God with our bodies--He paid the highest price for them and they no longer belong to us. Shouldn't we take this part of God’s Word literally, as we do all other parts?

Think of Jesus’ anger at finding the Jewish temple being used as a marketplace (Mark 11:15-17). He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and those selling doves. How does He feel about how we are using the temple of the Holy Spirit?

 

Habakkuk's Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet...

“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:1-2

The prophet Habakkuk could not understand why God allowed such evil to thrive among the people of Judah. He pleaded with God to act, but when God revealed His plan for His people, it was not at all what Habakkuk had in mind. God would use the cruel and evil Babylonians to take Judah captive, in order to turn their hearts back to Him. Habakkuk wanted to know this: How could a Righteous God use evil to cure evil?

Our God cannot, and will not, be put in a box. We ask for revival, and we have our own ideas as to how God might answer that prayer--nothing too drastic--a mild chastening should do. But our God knows exactly what it will take to bring us to our knees, to turn our hearts back to Him. He has every resource available to Him--even the most evil people on earth--and He will use them if that is what it takes.

So how do we pray for our nation--our world, knowing that the answer will most likely be painful? Pray that God will do something amazing. And then pray like Habakkuk: “LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”