Glowing From Within

Consider what the Lord is doing in your life and how He moves. In what ways is He accomplishing His purposes through every situation? You pray and give Him your requests, expecting Him to help you physically. Yet He is hard at work on you spiritually. He works in mysterious ways to help those who are His, to those who are called and chosen by His name to follow and obey. But His works in ways that you rarely would expect.

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:6-8

He has a much greater desire to change you inwardly than outwardly. Because if He molds and changes your inner being to be more like Him, your outer being will also radiate Him. It will reflect and reveal what is on the inside to everyone. Your good fruit will be known to all men.

Jesus said, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45

So, you may not receive what you wanted or expected from the Lord when you made your request known to Him. Instead, He is giving you a much better gift. He makes you into His image in wisdom, understanding, godliness, holiness, and purity. These things will benefit you in every way, both physically and spiritually. Renewing you in the spirit will refresh your body, mind, and soul for all eternity. How much better it is when God heals you from the inside out.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-8

You were called in your imperfection to be made perfect. God instructs you by showing you your foolishness so you may turn and be wise. You were called in your weakness to be made strong and in your perishable body to someday be given a spiritual body to live in immortality for all eternity in Glory. So turn away from the ways of this world and seek to do God’s will.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-56