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NIV is used unless otherwise noted.



Moving Day

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
Hebrews 12:11


I thought I was in pretty good shape until we helped our daughter and son-in-law move. The anticipation of a new baby necessitated the change from a one bedroom apartment to a two bedroom one. Both were second story, but in different buildings which meant two sets of stairs for each trip.

The day started off great – good weather, muscles fresh, lots of help. I looked at climbing up and down the stairs as exercise so it did not concern me much. After several times back and forth though I noticed I had slowed down.

Muscles I thought were good to go started calling out. By the end of that day I could barely go down the stairs. By the next day my calf muscles hurt so badly that my ascent and descent would compare with that of a turtle’s pace.

I realized I probably was not in as good of physical shape as I had thought. That led me to wonder about a comparison to my spiritual life. Do I have spiritual muscles which have remained inactive far too long?

Do I spend enough time in God’s word to really know what it says? Have I spent time in prayer not only talking to God, but also sincerely listening to His voice as well?

Do I tell others about His glory? Would I feel too inadequate to speak up if I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to do so?

Time to evaluate those spiritual muscles and see what needs to be shaped up. The only way I know to do that is to get on my knees and ask our Father for direction. His answers may prove to cause some stretching and practice, but in the long run my spiritual weakness will become strong in Him.

Thank you Lord for leading me toward your spiritual well-being.



Susan P.

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