Good day people
Welcome back to my blog space
I hope that you’re keeping well, and are utilising the time which God has given you wisely, whilst learning to totally depend on Him! Sooo as you may or may not know this is part 5 of our 7 part series on the life of Ruth, that’s right we’re drawing closer and closer to the end of this series 😭, I feel like it’s come around so quick. Anyways today’s area of focus is CLEANLINESS yippie!
Now I have to tell you that today’s discussion may be a little controversial, BUT please do hear me out. This may be a sensitive topic for ladies especially but I believe that it is very important for us to openly talk about matters surrounding personal hygiene. This is because we are to look after our bodies as well as our spirit man.
Keeping clean and promoting cleanliness is highly important as it can help reduce the spread of disease and infection. And when reading through the Bible one can see that God instructed the children of Israel on how to uphold good hygiene standards in order to keep themselves healthy. God gave them specific instructions and commandments because He loved them and desired to preserve them. (Adhering to God’s standards at all time’s is extremely essential. This would have been especially so for the Israelites as they spent 40 years in the wilderness, therefore protocols on keeping tidy were needed)!
Deuteronomy 23:12-13 ~ “You must have a designated area outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. Each of you must have a spade as part of your equipment. Whenever you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the spade and cover the excrement.”
You can also find out more information on ceremonial laws by reading through Leviticus chapter 11 through to 18.
Upon reading the book of Ruth, Naomi told Ruth to put on some nice clothes and good perfume. Yes ladies AND gents it’s good to look presentable. If you have the means to dress neat and tidy by all means do so. I mean Esther spent months having beauty treatments before being presented to King Xerxes and eventually becoming Queen. It is good to put effort into looking after the body which the Lord has blessed you with.
Ruth 3:3 ~ “Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.”
Esther 2:12 ~ “Before each young woman was taken to the king’s bed, she was given the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments six months with oil of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments.”
I’ll be honest and say that I do not spend any time applying makeup to wear to work, but I do ensure that I take necessary steps to keeping clean such as showering, moisturising, and applying body spray. I do believe that I can care for my health further more as sometimes I find myself violently ripping a comb through my hair because I’m annoyed that my hair isn’t doing what I want it to, and because I’m running late. It’s a journey in which I’m making slow progress, but progress made wether little or a lot, is progress nonetheless. I believe that being organised can also help an individual better care for their overall well-being. So yes as human beings we can be pretty visual, we become attracted to things which appeal to our eyes and grab our attention. There is nothing wrong with enjoying to dress up in a way which HONOURS GOD and expresses your character, BUT outward appearance should NOT be our main focus in life!
Proverbs 31:30 ~ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
1 Peter 3:3-4 ~ Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
We mustn’t forget that the most important part of us which needs cleansing is our souls/hearts. Thank God for Jesus who takes away our sin. We can never be good enough or save ourselves through our works but thank God for Jesus Christ (God in flesh appearing) who was perfectly good on our behalf. We have to allow the Holy Spirit filter our minds of all the junk which may enter through what we watch, or listen to, knowingly or unknowingly. We all need cleansing, we all need God’s forgiveness for all have sinned and fallen short of the Lord’s glorious standards.
Matthew 23: 25-26 ~ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.”
John 1:29 ~ “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Finally whenever you feel low remember the words ‘you are WONDERFULLY made’. You are a unique masterpiece delicately made by the hand of God, so be gentle with yourself. Guard your heart against the lies of Satan that you’re ugly. Believe God’s word which is 100% truth which states you’re WONDERFULLY made. This passage uplifted me at just the right time when I felt frustrated about my severe boil like acne break out, and the hyperpigmentation marks left behind by previous breakouts. But we must remember that there is WAY more to life than what we own, and the clothes which we wear. The thrill of buying a new car doesn’t last forever, it quickly fades and the desire for something new quickly resurfaces. Only Christ can satisfy the human soul, so let us learn to fix our minds on that which is of everlasting value, on things which do not perish. Let growing closer to God and deepening our relationship with Him be our number one goal in life.
Psalms 139:13-14 ~ “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”
Good day all and remember you were created with skill. May God’s joy continue to abound within your households
Love
Christian Lady After God’s Own Heart
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