Stretch Out

 

When I wake up in the morning, I always have new aches and pains.  One of the curses of growing older.  But also, the new aches and pains are one of the blessings of growing older … I get to grow older and not die young.  We had a dear friend who attended Calvary years ago stop by for a visit.  Rosemary likes to hike, so she wanted to visit Cloudland Canyon in nearby Trenton, Georgia.  But Rosemary is a serious hiker, and I made a serious mistake.  You see, I am only a novice hiker … barely a moderate walker.  But being the macho man that I am, I didn’t want to admit my noviceness and turn back on the strenuous hike when I should have.  Hence my post about tired muscles.  Did I mention sore knee joints too?!  But I did enjoy stretching myself out and going further than I thought that I could.  Hey, we should stretch out a little further than we think that we are capable of in the spiritual world too.  Do more for God than you think that you can.  Good spiritual exercise!  The apostle Paul stretched himself out saying in II Corinthians 10:14, “For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ.”  And then Paul went on to say, II Corinthians 10:17, “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”  Good words, Paul!  After all, we don’t stretch out in our spiritual life in our own strength; we stretch out and go further in the strength of the Lord!  Hey, do a little bit extra today for the dear Lord … and do it in His strength!