1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 says: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN. For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Do we really believe these words? I’m not sure. It seems that many women do not believe their bodies belong to God. They believe they own their own bodies and should do with them as they like. However, the Scripture tells us that God our Creator owns our bodies. He owns them by creation and by redemption. Revelation 4:11 says: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
God created everything for His pleasure and glory, which includes our bodies. Therefore, this means every part of our body—our ears to be dedicated to hearing His voice, our mouth to proclaim His truths, our eyes to turn from evil and behold His face, our hands, and feet to reach out with love, nurture, and serving. And of course, our wombs, which God also created for His glory. How can we say, “Dear God, I yield my life totally to You and Your service? Except my womb. That’s mine and mine alone to determine how it is used.”
I think it is good to be reminded of what God says in His Word, don’t you? Take time to read the Scriptures. They are so much more powerful and important than anything I say. Let’s read:
Psalm 100:3: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Psalm 119:73: “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.”
Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
Isaiah 29:16: “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Many translations say it clearer: “You turn things upside down.” In other words, you’ve got it all wrong.
Some other translations use the word “perverse” or “perversity.” The NET (New English Translation) says: “YOUR THINKING IS PERVERSE!” Should the potter be regarded as the clay? Should the thing made say about its maker, ‘He didn’t make me’? Or should the pottery say about the potter, ‘He doesn’t understand’?”
Two other very literal translations also use “perverse,” The Scriptures and the Young’s Literal Translation. I always like to check things out to see who is correct. Therefore, I went to the original Hebrew. The phrase in the King James Bible “surely your turning” is used only once in the Bible and the Hebrew word is “hophek,” meaning “perverse.” The exact word!
Some dictionary meanings of “perverse” are “contrary and willful, stubborn, obstinate, wayward, turned away from what is right and good.” It’s a strong word, isn’t it? We don’t want to be labeled with such a word, do we?
Isaiah 45;9: “Woe unto him that serveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth; Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? Or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?”
Isaiah 674:8: “O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Romans 9:20: “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”
The Scripture need no more comment.
Have a wonderful day,
Nancy Campbell
Picture: milyshares.blogspot.com/2011/02/maternity-photos.html
Kristin Eason emailed a beautiful poem she wrote, which I share with you below. She writes: “I wrote this poem after thinking how birds are always singing their sweet songs, rain or shine, and how strange it would be if they stopped singing.
I’d love to share with you a quote I read this morning. It is from an article by Alexander MacLaren called CONTINUAL SUNSHINE from his book, “Expositions of Holy Scripture.” You’ll want to read it more than once.
Some people allow themselves to get eaten up inside with bitterness, hurt, and jealousy etc. We cannot allow these attitudes to continue in our lives for they destroy us and our entire family. We have a responsibility as mothers to keep our spirits whole--pure, blameless, and continually forgiving.
Yesterday we talked about the opposite attitudes of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His enemy the devil. Satan was the anointed cherub. You can read the full description of his origin in Ezekiel 28:12-15.
Everything in our lives comes back to attitude, doesn’t it? It determines the way we live? What is my attitude toward my husband? What is my attitude toward my role of mothering in the home? Is it based on what I want, or is it founded on God’s eternal plan?
This article is worth reading: 
I read some time ago that the home is the emptiest place in America during the day. God never intended the home to be empty. Jesus told the parable of the man who made a big banquet and told his servant to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23).
It's not enough to believe in your heart; you have to confess with your mouth. You only keep what you confess. You only experience in your life what you confess. We are exhorted to "Hold fast the CONFESSION of our faith without wavering" (Hebrews 10:23). Can I let you in on a secret? The more you confess the less you will waver!
When Eve woke up to life, she was in her garden home. God had the home ready for her. This was to be her life. This is where she would bring life into the world and raise children to influence the world. This is where she would work fulfill all the gifts God had given her. It was not a place of restriction, but joy, freedom, efficiency, and productivity. And this is His plan for you, dear mother. This is your life, too.
When we eradicate evil in our home, we mustn’t only sweep it outside the door. We must make sure we send it FAR FROM OUR HOME! Job 22:23-25 (NASB) says: "If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; if you remove unrighteousness far from your tent (your home) . . . then the Almighty will be your gold and choice silver to you."
The Scriptures to wives and mothers in Titus 2:3-5 end with rather fearful words. It says that if we do not live the lifestyle that God tells us that we “blaspheme” God’s Word. Now, before this makes you too mad, just remember, I didn’t say these words. They are the words of Scripture.
Who wants to live “the good life”? I am sure we all do. God wants us to live “the good life” too. That’s why He shows us how to live in Titus 2:3-5. Remember, this is the passage where the older women are told what to teach the younger women. J. B. Phillips’ translation calls it “the good life.”
This is how God describes you! And why are you so amazing? Not because of anything of yourself, but because you are God’s created handiwork.
Where can you communicate while you eat?
The following are some ideas that I have found helpful in maintaining togetherness at our family meal table.
Yesterday we talked about the first question God asks in the Bible, “Where are you?” God didn’t come to Adam and Eve the moment they sinned. He came at the end of the day. The heat and toil of the day is over and a gentle breeze is now blowing. It’s the time to rest. It’s the time for fellowship.