As a community, we are currently celebrating 13 days of Thanksgiving! You can find the You Version plan here. Each day’s reading is available right here at SheReadsTruth.com or you can Subscribe to #SheReadsTruth by Email.
{Text: Psalm 100:4}
In the Old Testament, the faithful had to visit the temple to be in the presence of the the Lord, to experience His nearness. Because we are children of the new covenant, 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that WE are temples of the Holy Spirit, we are not our own. You know that incredibly awkward feeling when you’ve just arrived at church after having some strife in your car or on your way into the sanctuary? Maybe a nagging issue that you must perceivably push aside to engage in worship?
Before you rose out of bed this morning, you were a temple of the Living God. As kids of the Father, we don’t have to pretend that everything is fine all the time – but we do have the unique and beautiful ability to choose to enter His courts (our lives) with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name before the day starts, in the midst of pain, in traffic, in good, in bad, in everything. Your life was bought with the price of Jesus’ blood so that you’d be set aside as a temple for His indwelling. Walk in it. Hand in hand with your Redeemer, beginning with Praise.
I have to reitterate what a few of you gala said already…reading this verse gave me a vision of old testament times where they would physically enter into the “gates” and the “courts” of the Lord’s house and I would just kind of skim the verse and subconsciously think that the only practical application I could take away was to be thankful…but this has really opened my eyes! it’s
so much deeper than that for those of us who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts!
I love this! such a great perspective going into the holidays…and every day!
So thankful for finding this community a couple months ago. starting to actually write in a journal, post instagram pics, and really having the messages sink in. would love to get to know you ladies more! trying to get women I already know (friends, family) involved, but would love to get to know the online community as well. I could use a prayer partner. Be thankful that we get to walk with God, every moment of every day :)
So because i am home with the boys today, I did my devotion at 5pm instead of my normal 11am (my planning period at work). The day had been…difficult. the baby is teething and was so SO pitiful and difficult. The 3yo was, well 3. I had pies to make and other things to get done. It was…hard.
And then I read this. I stopped. Closed my eyes, and remembered how lucky I am in the midst of the chaos. Just because things are going my way doesn't mean they aren't going "right".
And so I said thank you to Jesus, took his hand, and moved on with my day.
I am so grateful for these devotions. I can't begin to describe how they have helped my life.
What an awesome Scripture reading today! It’s one I have been saying to myself these past weeks. That we should enter God’s presence with praise! Because He is so worthy of it!!!
As I read the verse this morning, I realized that for the first time in a LONG time Thanksgiving means something different to me, than in the past. Not that it's always just been about getting together with friends and family, and having a yummy meal I've always been THANKFUL for something, but this year it's different, I find myself realizing that Thanksgiving it's just one day a year and it's meaning is so much different. My priority this year is not can I make the biggest and best meal, it's I need to be on my knees before God thanking Him for my blessings AND my storms before ANYTHING else.
I am so thankful that y attitude is different and I am recognizing where I have been blind in the past. I am excited to wake up tomorrow morning and not turn on the TV, not rush to a friends house, but to spend a quiet morning in the presence of my Lord.
Thank you ladies for this study!
I enjoy looking at the pictures of your logs and outlined Bibles. On one on the logs today, it said, "Password – Thank You." That's a great concept in this tech age. To get in to the best day of your life, it starts with Thank You, gratitude.
Nicki that is exactly what I was thinking!! it reminded me of that song as well, I had always been taught His court is the holy of holies and you have to be clean to enter, I had always thought of my life as a living sacrifice. To hear it this way that my life is His dwelling place blows my mind.
I am really glad this bible study/devotion crosses denomination something we as people won’t do in our ‘real’ lives. I am learning so much.
I got revelation in the comment that His courts are our lives. When i've read this before, or sung the song "H has made Me glad" which says, "I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter his courts with praise," I always thought of His courts as this high and lofty place and never understood it. now I see this and I can say, "I will enter my life with praise." wow!