admin“The way of the LORD is strength to the upright:” Proverbs 10:29
SHIRLEY & MARCY
A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn’t want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it.
She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her. She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.
The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew … She did this for the whole week.
As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy’s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.
Finally she said to Timmy, ‘Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?’
Timmy nonchalantly replied, ‘Yeah, I know who she is.’
The little girl said, ‘Well, who is she?’
‘That’s just Shirley Goodnest,‘ Timmy replied, ‘and her daughter Marcy.’
‘Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? ‘
‘Well,‘ Timmy explained, ‘every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’, so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!’
In our verse above we read that ‘the way of the Lord’ gives us strength. What is “The way of the Lord” anyway? If we looked in the Gospels to see the way Jesus did things, perhaps we could find out what this means. “What Did Jesus Do?” tells the story. I wonder what would happen if we truly asked that question before we did anything. Would we still do some of the things we do without even thinking? If we do things God’s way, the bible says we will have more strength.
When we walk away from evil and do things God’s way, we receive healthy bones.
“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” Prov. 3:7-8.
“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” (Prov. 14:30). How destructive sin is in our lives! This verse is scary. Envy will rot our bones. The comfort is when we walk away from sin (in this case envy); God will restore us and give us healthy bones. Pretty awesome!
When Jesus was on this earth, why do you suppose He spent entire nights in prayer to His Father? I believe it was not only for the joy of fellowship with His Father, but that it was also for the strength He needed for His daily task on earth. Remember Jesus defeated Satan with the Power of the Holy Spirit as a human being. He limited Himself. He left His Glory in Heaven to become a man, the bible says.
Have you ever thought about what a sacrifice He made? Look at some ants in an ant hill. If you were somehow able to become an ant, you might understand them better. That would still be a very poor illustration of the extreme sacrifice of the Creator becoming a human being. As a human, He needed strength. His body was weak. The bible says that we receive strength from God by reading and absorbing His Word, by spending time in prayer and by doing things God’s way.
Joy gives strength to our bones, the bible says. See Psalms 51:8. The bible also says that the “joy of the Lord is our strength.” Look at pleasant things and think about things that are true, noble, virtuous, praiseworthy etc and you will find joy filling your life. Read the bible and spend time in prayer with our God. He is Joy.
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” (Prov. 17:22) It goes on to say that a broken spirit will dry up the bones.
Have you ever noticed that when you really are not feeling very good if you take the time to laugh, you start feeling better? We have all heard the story of the man from Northern Minnesota a few years ago now who laughed for six months in every way possible. He rented funny movies, read funny books and told and shared jokes continually. What was the result? He beat cancer. God’s Word is true.
Saying good things about others (a good report) will give us fat healthy bones (Prov. 15:30). Have you ever deliberately tried to only say nice things about others? Kenny, our son, and I when he was a child, decided to spend one 24 hour day only saying nice things to and about one another – including no funny teasing remarks. They could only be uplifting and encouraging. You know, we both found it difficult but it was a wonderful experience. God says giving good reports will give us healthy bones. Start by praying positively about everyone in your family. It helps.
Pleasant words give us healthy bones. This is more than a good report: it is simply speaking pleasantly and kindly at all times. This simple act will give us healthy bones.
Then deem it not an idle thing
A pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear, the thought you bring
A heart may heal or break.
- J.G. Whittier
May your bones be healthy and God’s strength be yours.
Tags: 08.20.2009