Just What is Reasonable? (day 18)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Sometimes it helps me to take a passage of God’s Word, that seems a little hard to wrap my mind around, and look at it in as many translations as possible. Then to see if I can write it in more understandable words. This is a result that is helpful for me.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I earnestly plead with you, consider the wonderful kindness that God has shown each of us, in spite of how we have behaved toward him and his son. The only reasonable thing to do, is to give your whole body to him as a sacrifice. Do everything possible to make sure it is holy and acceptable to Him. This only makes sense!

Nearly every time I do this exercise I see, again for the first time, things that I have let slip by, or things that I had not seen just that way before. Or I see a parallel with another section of God’s Word with fresh clarity. Compare this with 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, for you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

I see clearly that I need to make changes where I have not taken things seriously enough in the past.

Blessed Father in heaven I thank you so very much for the wonder of your word to my heart! I thank you that once again your word has found a place in my heart. Please, I need grace to remove the stones that would keep the root from going down. I need grace to overcome the weeds that would choke your word. Teach me diligence, so this word can do the work that it was intended to do. Plants do not grow in a moment and this will take time and attention. I need your strength and wisdom always that I might be a glory to you. In the precious name of Jesus; Amen.