Jesus
said [to some Jewish unbelievers]: “You are of your
father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for
he is a liar and the father of liars.”
—John
8:44
Despite your blemishes, you’re
a child of the king. But your beauty shouldn’t come only from your outward appearance
but from your inward radiance.
*~*~*~*~*~*
From
Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young
Adult Christian Fantasy:
“I’ll make you a beautiful princess,”
he [the serpent] promised.
The desire to be talented and
sought after by handsome young men consumed me.
—Shale Snyder, chapter
twenty-six
*~*~*~*~*~*
The truth is, those provocative
pictures of men and women on the cover of Vogue
and other magazines have been edited with Photoshop to make the models look
beautiful. Give me a photograph of yourself and I can make you as glamorous as
you want to be.
The cover of Seventh Dimension – The Door was manipulated in Photoshop by a professional book
designer. The girl had no blouse on—we added that. Her long hair dipped into
the water so we cut it. I didn’t want a mermaid. We sprinkled golden glitter on
the surface of the water and added a waterfall to the background. We enhanced the
bird and added highlights behind the girl to do one thing—to draw your
attention to Shale Snyder, the main character in Seventh Dimension – The Door.
We can do that because we can
manipulate what the eye sees. But what about what is underneath the skin or
that outer layer that we can’t see? Shale was tempted to believe the serpent’s
lie to make her beautiful on the outside. Save for her friend, Daniel, she
would have been consumed by the temptation.
She wanted to be beautiful,
but what she truly wanted was to feel valued by somebody. Her self-worth and
self‑esteem had been bruised by others. She was persuaded to believe the lie
because she was desperate for love.
Beauty, money, wealth—all
those things tempt us into believing that if we had this or that one thing,
then everything would be great.
Satan lives in the spiritual
realm and when you enter that realm of questioning and seeking answers, you
will be confronted with choices. The serpent wants to convince you that he can
give you a shortcut to happiness.
If you spend all of your time
making yourself beautiful on the outside but don’t spend time with God developing
your relationship with him on the inside, you will be a trophy—a trophy of the
devil.
God wants all of you. Don’t
be led astray. Find your joy in the Lord, and if you have wandered, come back. Remember
your first love.
Young ladies may find this
hard to believe, but a man of God will seek the beauty of Jesus in you. A godly
man will be drawn to your soul that is enraptured with the Holy Spirit. He will
see your love for the king, your compassion toward others, your kindness for
animals, and a heavenly beauty that surpasses the outward beauty you think you
need to catch a young man.
Besides that, if God wants you
to marry, he has the perfect man already picked out for you. You don’t need to
compromise or do things you might regret later. You don’t need to wear dresses
up to your hips or low-cut blouses to grab the attention of a handsome suitor.
If you’re a young lady, would
you want a man who was attracted to you only because of your outward beauty?
That kind of beauty fades. Breasts sag, hair turns gray, wrinkles appear, and varicose
veins pop out.
If you are a young man, young
Christian ladies want a man who “walks the walk” and not just “talks the talk.”
A real Christian woman can spot a counterfeit Christian man within a few
minutes of conversation. A real Christian woman can feel his lustful gaze and she
can read his carnal thoughts. In fact, any woman will know when a man is not
treating her with respect, even if she doesn’t say so.
I tell my daughters, if you
want a Christian marriage, find a man who really, really, really loves the Lord,
and then he will love you.
Sadly, in today’s world,
there aren’t enough young truly committed Christian men. Part of it is probably
due to our Western culture, where young men have bought into the idea that it’s
okay for them to sow their wild oats before getting married. Beware, though, some
of those wild oats contain poison.
In Hollywood, you’re given a
star people walk on that symbolizes greatness. Is that what you want? In
heaven, you will be given a crown, or even many crowns, depending on how you’ve
lived your life. Would you rather have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
that might be destroyed in an earthquake or a crown of righteousness that will
never fade? In fact, there are many kinds of crowns to be awarded to the saints
for their faithful deeds.
Here are some Bible passages
that describe the kinds of crowns that await the believers when they arrive in
heaven.
[II Timothy 4:8] The crown of righteousness, given to those
who long for the Messiah’s return.
[I Corinthians 9:25‑27] The
incorruptible crown, given to those who have exercised self-discipline and self-control
over their bodies and thoughts.
[James 1:12] The crown of
life, given to those who have endured patiently through trials.
[I Peter 5:4] The crown of glory,
given to pastors and others who have faithfully served God.
[I Thessalonians 2:19] The
soul winner’s crown, given to those who have brought many followers into the
kingdom.
The temptation to buy into Satan’s
lies is great, but God’s love is greater. Remember your Lord and Savior at
those moments when you are tempted, “…and the things of this world will grow
strangely dim in the light of his mercy and grace.” [lyrics to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus].
Young men and young ladies, adorn
yourself with thoughts that will captivate your soul. Thoughts of beauty when
you embrace God’s creation. Thoughts of wonder at the testimony of those who have
suffered because they love Jesus.
Look for good in the world
because it’s there. It won’t be found in tabloids or on store aisles stocked with
overpriced items promising fame, beauty, or fortune. God’s insurmountable
beauty will be found in sunsets, in family relationships, in friendships that
honor God, in Thanksgiving dinners and Bible studies and fellowship with other
believers.
A smile on your face can
lighten up a room. Acceptance in your eyes can reassure someone who is sad. A
hug can make someone feel wanted. A kind word can tear down strongholds that
Satan has built—you’re beautiful just the way you are.
Young ladies, you don’t need
to do anything to make handsome men desire you—for the wrong reasons. Love the
Lord your God with all your heart mind, and soul. He will send you the right
soul mate and husband at his appointed time.
And young men, if you want
God’s absolute best wife in the world, save yourself for the one he created to
be your helpmate. Make women desire you because of your love for God.
Thank
you, Jesus, for helping me to trust you in my relationships with the opposite
sex. Help me to trust you for my future husband or wife.
Please
help me to wait. Help me to grow in maturity so I can someday be the wife or
husband you call me to be. I want to be content where you have put me, single
or married. My hope for a future spouse is found in you.
http://bit.ly//Lord_Foulgrin_Letters Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, by Randy Alcorn
