Health and Healing.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.”

The Spirit of God lives in you. How you treat your body is part of how you worship.

Live it: Choose one thing today that honors your body: the walk, the water, the early night. Your body houses the Spirit of God. Treat it like it.

“Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.”

John prays for his friend’s health and success to match the health of his soul. God cares about your whole life, your body included.

Live it: Book the checkup or the labs you’ve been putting off. Today, not someday.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Your inner life affects your body. Joy isn’t pretending hard things aren’t hard. It’s choosing what you focus on.

Live it: Call someone who makes you laugh, or get ten minutes outside with no phone. Joy is medicine. Take it.

“But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”

To wait on the Lord means to hope in Him and depend on Him, the way a cord holds when it’s pulled tight. Strength is renewed as you lean on Him.

Live it: Before you push through today, take two minutes and ask God for strength. Then rise and run.

“I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well.”

David marvels at how God formed him. Your body is God’s design, worth honoring, not despising.

Live it: Thank God out loud for one thing your body does well, then treat it like the masterpiece it is.

“For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.”

Paul doesn’t dismiss exercise. He says it has value, and godliness has even more. Train both.

Live it: Move for twenty minutes today and pray the whole time. Train your body and your soul together.

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.”

Scripture ties how you live to how your body holds up. Walking in God’s ways brings health to the whole person.

Live it: Cut one habit this week that you know is breaking your body down. You already know which one.

“And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”

Jesus told His tired disciples to come away and rest. Rest isn’t laziness. It’s obedience.

Live it: Phone down an hour before bed tonight. Protect your sleep like it matters, because it does.

“saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.””

God revealed Himself to Israel as “the LORD who heals you.” Healing is part of who He is.

Live it: Bring the area where you need healing to God by name today, and take the next step your doctor or your plan calls for.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,”

David tells his own soul to remember everything God does, including forgiving and healing. Remembering stirs faith.

Live it: Write down three things God has healed or restored in your life. Read them before you pray.

“Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Paul calls offering your body to God your true worship. Daily choices with your body can be acts of worship.

Live it: Make one choice with your body today as an offering: what you eat, how you rest, how you move.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat— for He gives sleep to His beloved.”

God gives rest to those He loves. Staying up late and rising early in anxious toil is not His design for you.

Live it: Set a bedtime tonight and keep it. Sleep is part of trusting God.

“My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.”

God’s words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body. What you take in shapes all of you.

Live it: Read one chapter of Proverbs today and let it feed you.

“But I will restore your health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because they call you an outcast, Zion, for whom no one cares.””

God promised His wounded people that He would restore them to health and heal their wounds.

Live it: Bring God the area that needs restoring today, and believe Him for it.

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

James tells the sick to call the church’s elders to pray over them. Healing is something God’s people pursue together.

Live it: Ask someone you trust to pray with you about your health this week.

““Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.””

Jesus told a woman who had suffered for twelve years that her faith had healed her, and to go in peace.

Live it: Reach for Jesus today with whatever faith you have, even if it’s just touching the edge of His robe.

““Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink.”

Daniel asked to eat simple food for ten days to honor God, and he came out healthier than the others. Discipline with food can be devotion.

Live it: Choose one meal today that honors your body more than your cravings.

“No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

Paul disciplined his body and kept it under control so he could finish strong. Discipline serves the calling.

Live it: Do one disciplined thing for your body today that you’d rather skip.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. You don’t have to find it on your own. The Spirit grows it in you.

Live it: Ask the Holy Spirit for self-control in the area where you struggle most today.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be wounded for our sins, and by His wounds we are healed. Healing begins with the soul and reaches the whole person.

Live it: Thank Jesus today for what His wounds bought you.

“And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.”

God rested on the seventh day. Rest isn’t weakness. It’s built into the design.

Live it: Plan one real day of rest this week and protect it.

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Gracious words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. What you hear and say affects your body.

Live it: Speak kindly to yourself today. Replace one harsh thought with a gracious one.

“Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.””

When Elijah was exhausted and ready to quit, God didn’t lecture him. He let him sleep and sent food, because the journey was too much for him.

Live it: If you’re running on empty, eat a real meal and get real sleep today. It’s spiritual too.

“Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.”

Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray. Even He stepped away to recharge.

Live it: Find fifteen minutes alone today, away from people and screens, to pray.

“Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony.”

David asks God for mercy because he is faint and his bones are troubled. You can bring your body’s pain straight to God.

Live it: Tell God exactly where it hurts today. Be specific.

““But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.”

God promised that for those who revere Him, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.

Live it: Step into the morning sun today and thank God for His healing.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Even meals can be worship.

Live it: Before you eat today, thank God and ask how this meal can honor Him.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.”

Our outward bodies are wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Live it: When your body feels weak today, remember your inner life is being renewed.

“For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.”

Through wisdom your days will be multiplied and years added to your life.

Live it: Make one wise choice today that your future self will thank you for.

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.”

When God’s people live out justice and mercy, He promises their healing will quickly appear. How we treat others connects to our own wholeness.

Live it: Do one act of mercy for someone today.