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 Healthy You - EXERCISE
I Timothy 4:8, For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is
profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that
which is to come.
Exercise...it seems to be a bad word nowadays! But it is a Bible word, and
the Bible even says it "profiteth"! A little, yes, but it does profit!
Part of being healthy is exercising this body we live in. If we do not exercise,
we will not be healthy. If we are unhealthy to the point of weakness, we will not
be able to exercise--thus the vicious cycle has begun.
As much as we may think this, exercise is NOT a part of the curse brought on
us by sin through Adam in the Garden of Eden. He exercised in the
Garden...tending plants and animals! Sure, he didn't have to fight the weeds or
work by the sweat of his brow until the curse of sin, but he did have a job!
I like to think about the Garden of Eden. I like to think that the New Earth will
be very much like the Garden of Eden, even being able to walk with God in
the cool of the day.... The animals weren't afraid of Adam and Eve. Imagine
being able to snuggle up to a panther, laying your head to rest on its purring
tummy. Imagine racing with a gazelle over the sandspur-less fields! How about
hopping with a kangaroo? Swinging limb to limb with a monkey? Swimming
with otters and seals and whales?
Well, other than resting on a panther's tummy, those other things are all
exercise, my friend *_* Racing, jumping, swinging, swimming....
Many of us have limitations to our exercise. I cannot do a lot
of running because of scoliosis, giving me pain from doing a lot of standing,
walking, or running. But I can swim! I can do some scrunches! I can do leg-lifts
and work with weights! I can go out bicycling with my children! Find an
exercise regimen that works for you...low "impact".
I do not recommend going to a gym. Why? Wrong atmosphere. Most have
rock music playing, most if not all people are in revealing, skin-tight clothing...the
focus is all wrong. They are emphasizing and working to further better "the
body beautiful". As Christians, we need to take care of our body--not to "show
it off"--but because it is the temple of the Holy Ghost who lives in us upon
salvation.
I do recommend an accountability partner of the same gender or our spouse.
Even if you can't work out together, you can keep up with progress...weight
loss, how many reps, how far you walked/ran.... It's so encouraging to have
someone CARE. It's so edifying to be able to care for someone else's
well-being!
The following are other verses on exercise. Yes, we have the main verse that
talks about bodily exercise as we know it profitting little, but look at these other
exercises!
Acts 24:16, And herein do I exercise myself, to have always
a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.
Exercise yourself to do what pleases God. We can't just sit like a lump and
expect to please Him. We need to -- as we're told in II Timothy -- STUDY to
show ourselves approved unto God. Study the BIBLE.
I Timothy 4:7, But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself
rather unto godliness.
Exercise...unto godliness. How do we know what is godly? How can we
do those things which are pleasing in His sight? STUDY the BIBLE!
STRENGTHEN...
Nehemiah 6:9, For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be
weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God,
strengthen my hands.
Fear of man will sap our strength! Two chapters after this verse in Nehemiah, we find
the wonderful words the joy of the LORD is your strength! There are
two devotionals on FEAR here at 4 Seests in Paradise.
Fear None but GOD and
FEAR THIS...., a Bible study on Hell and the eternal Lake of
Fire, and once again fearing Him Who has power to cast the unrepentant
body and soul there. The Bible says fear hath torment. The Word of God also says that
perfect love (God's love!) casteth out fear! AMEN! So we should
strengthen ourselves in the JOY of the LORD, not fearing anything or anyone,
but TRUSTING HIM. That is an exercise in FAITH *_*
Psalm 27:14, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Waiting on the LORD (another devotional!) is often an
active waiting, serving Him in whatever way He calls us to serve. Sometimes
we serve by standing still and seeing the salvation of the LORD! Sometimes we
serve in prayer. Sometimes we serve by giving to the poor, even a cup of cold
water (or hot soup) given in His name. But when we serve the LORD, He will
strengthen our hearts! What a blessed promise!
Psalm 31:24, Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye
that hope in the LORD.
Another blessed heart-strengthening verse, this time for having courage and
hope in the LORD!
Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am
thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness.
OH, what a great and precious promise from the Word -- a direct quote -- a
promise of God from His own mouth. HE WILL STRENGTHEN US!!! Look with
me at these next verses:
I Corinthians 1:25, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and
the weakness of God is stronger than men.
II Corinthians 12:10, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am
weak, then am I strong.
Praise God, in Joel we're told that even when we're weak, we're STRONG.
The passage about the whole armour of God in Ephesians 6 begins with
being strong in the LORD, and in the power of his might. AMEN.
I Timothy 4:8, For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable
unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come.
We can exercise ourselves to faith and godliness, giving ourselves a workout
that is pleasing to God! Yes, bodily exercise profits a little. We should take care of the
body the LORD entrusted to us, which is the temple of His own Spirit when we
know Jesus Christ as our Saviour. But the exercise that profits MUCH is the
strengthening that comes from the strength of the LORD!
Some "Walking" Hymns:
Close to Thee - Saviour, let me walk with Thee....
It is Glory Just to Walk with Him
Just a Closer Walk with Thee - I am weak, but Thou art strong!
The Light of the World is JESUS - we walk in the Light when we follow our Guide....
O for a Closer Walk with God
Stepping in the Light - trying to walk in the steps of the Saviour....
Teach Me Thy Way, O LORD - Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight....
Trust & Obey - when we walk with the LORD, in the light of His Word....
When We All Get to Heaven - while we walk the Pilgrim pathway....
 
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