Encouragement: Are you more than your pretty smile, beautiful face, coke bottle shape, tone and muscled cut body, high fashioned cloths, physical possessions, public status, and money to God or is that all you are, just to be glorified by mankind?
Proverbs 31: 30
30. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
(( — Favour —, Are you really looking out for my best interest? — Beauty —, is for a moment.))
Psalms 39:11
11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
((Basically, when a person sin, their inner beauty, and outer beauty start to consume(fade) away. As far as the inner beauty, for instance, you might have said or heard someone say, “She is a cruel and ugly woman or He is a cruel and ugly man.” They aren’t necessarily calling them a ugly person physically, they can very well be referring to their character, attitude, and how the act amongst people. Their ways are ugly and unlikable. In due time, if we live long enough, whatever physical beauty we have will diminish. The question is “What is left to follow us or carry us?” Take a look at this:
Luke 12:15-21
15. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
((Our life should not revolve around possessions. Our self-worth should not be measured by what physical things we have. Let’s continue.))
16. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
((All his life, he gain wealth. Don’t get me wrong, wealth is good, if you’re not controlled by it. Those who are wealthy can help a lot of people. He coveted, gain more and more, he was consumed by obtaining possessions, to point where God was no where in his life. He was rich in physical possession, yet not rich in truth and righteousness toward God. The Lord called him a fool, because, up until his death, which was around the corner, he had no relationship with God. Let’s continue.))
Psalm 49:16-20
16. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
17. For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
18. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
19. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
(He shall go to the grave where his fathers are, and take the sleep of death, silence, where there is no light.)
20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
((Man that is honoured by mankind, without understanding is like the beast that perish. This life here, existing in this flesh(body) is his only concern, the same as the beast. The beast isn’t concern about Judgement Day, neither is he. Let’s continue and look at what God.. look for in mankind:
1 Samuel 16:6-7
6. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.
7. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
((The Lord don’t look on the countenance(appearance, especially the facial expressions), the height and build of a person, the Lord looks on the heart(mind), not the outward appearance. Let’s continue.))
Galatians 6:3-4
3. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
((First, a person has to acknowledge that he is nothing, especially before Lord, before he or she can become anything more than what they presently are.))
4. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
((We must prove ourselves unto God first, rejoicing within, and not in another. We must allow God to exalt us, not we ourselves. Let’s take a look.))
1 Peter 5:6
6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
((We must remain humble before God, so that we can learn obedience, even how to maintain whatever position God is exalting us to. This is how we become exalted by God.))
Proverbs 4:7-9
7. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
((Obtaining wisdom, which leads to obtaining a crown of glory starts here:
Psalm 111:10
10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
(We must fear the Lord to obtain his wisdom, and by keeping his commandments, we understand how not to offend him. We also must endure, before, receiving that crown. Let’s take a look.))
James 1: 12
12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Peace and Love