TODAY’S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 24:52–26:16
Matthew 8:18-34
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 3:7-8

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Proverbs 3:7-8 (CSB) “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.”

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Once again, the Scripture tells us what we know by experience. Our physical well-being is often directly affected by our spiritual well-being.

We are told in our Verse for Today that we should refuse to be proud. Instead, we should submit ourselves to the Lord, realizing that He must punish those who disobey, and we should abstain from what He forbids.

As a result, our bodies will feel the affects. Our body’s immune system will work better so that it can heal itself more easily. Further, we will have more energy.

Simply put, obeying God and pursuing a rewarding relationship with Him will have wonderful, positive affects on your body.

King David understood this principle. Listen as he describes what it felt like to be completely forgiven by God. Then, listen to him describe what it felt like when he allowed sin to remain in his life.

Psalm 32:1-4 (CSB) “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the LORD does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit! When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.”

Someone who is a follower of the Lord understands this. There is joy and physical vitality when they are enjoying their God. They are obeying Him and every sin has been confessed and dealt with.

But, bad things happen in their body when they stray from a relationship with the God who loves them dearly. When they stumble into sin, and remain in that condition, their bodies will feel the affects.

We also see this principle in the New Testament.

3 John 1-2 (CSB) “The elder: To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.”

The words at the end of the previous verses, “whole life,” are literally the word “soul” in the original language. John was praying that Gaius would experience God’s blessings and good health in proportion to the condition of his soul (his spiritual life).

Friend, Christians cannot compartmentalize our lives as easily as some think.

Our spiritual life will directly impact our physical well-being. If we are straying from the Lord and toying with sin, God’s Holy Spirit will not give us peace. He will convict us of that sin and not stop until we forsake the sin and come back into a rewarding, loving relationship with God. And the condition of our hearts will have everything to do with the well-being of our bodies.

While there are certainly other variables (godly folks can get cancer, grow old and feeble, etc.), the general principle is that our spiritual well-being will affect our physical well-being.

Do you want to feel better? Then cultivate your relationship with the Lord, friend!

Advertisement