Isaiah 54:1-4, 5 Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child….Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid…For your MAKER is your husband—the LORD ALMIGHTY is HIS name….HE is called the GOD of all the earth. [New International Translation]
Summary
In Isaiah 54, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the future glory of the church. The church is compared to a “barren woman.” The analogy is powerful. To understand the significance of this analogy it is helpful to remember that it is said that one of the daily prayers of every orthodox Jewish male during biblical times was to “Thank God, he was not born a gentile, a slave or a woman.” If women were considered the “bottom rung” of the Jewish social order, then “barren women” were in the “sub-basement.” Even other women “looked down” on barren or childless women. [If you have time, read about some of the barren women in the Bible: Sarah (Abraham’s wife-Gen 16:1-4); Rebekah (Isaac’s wife Gen 25:21) Rachel (Jacob’s wife Gen 30:1), Hannah (1Sam 1:1-6) or the Shunammite woman (2Kings 4:1-14).]
Yet here, in Isaiah, the “barren woman” is told to stretch her tent wide. She has no children yet she is told to stretch the curtains and lengthen the cords as if she already had a tent full. She is like Abram. Even before Abraham had a single child, God gave Abram the name “Abraham,” which meant “Father of a Multitude.” Like Abraham, the barren woman must live “by faith.” Despite the way “things look,” or how others view her, she is to live as if “things that are not are.” (Romans 4:17) She must stretch her faith and simply trust GOD that HE will “fill the tent.”
STRETCHING – BEFORE A WORKOUT?
It used to be that the experts advised everyone about to engage in a rigorous workout to first stretch. The idea was that stretching before exercise improved performance reduced injuries. Today, the issue of whether to stretch or not is being debated. Part of the concern is whether static stretches (where you hold a stretch position for 20 or 30 seconds) weakens the muscle and may make injury more likely at the beginning of a workout, because the resting muscle is still stiff.
Others experts (e.g. those who work with professional athletes suggest that doing short-duration stretching (not intense static deep stretching) is still beneficial. These athletes do short, light stretches before an active warm-up before an event. According to one expert: “We don’t hold each stretch for more than a few seconds.” They just want to activate the muscles and get the body loose. One trainer offered this tip: “Proceed gently, just until you feel a comfortable stretch. Greater flexibility comes with practice. And if a stretch seems too challenging, skip it until you gain that greater flexibility. After all, if you hurt yourself stretching, you'll be relegated to the sidelines.” See, “Did You Know Stretching Before Exercise Is Controversial: Here is the Right Way To Do It:” by Roy M. Wallack, February 6, 2016, www.latimes.com.
In another article, Bill Holcomb, PhD, professor of athletic training at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, noted that you should never stretch a cold muscle in any way. But on the other hand,
it is also important to always warm up first. He suggests to “always start with some mild aerobic warm-up to get the blood going to the tissue before doing any stretching.” Holcomb recommends a brisk walk or a slow job for about five minutes before exercising, rather than starting with stretching. He also recommends dynamic (not static) stretches, meaning slow, controlled movements rather than staying still. Dynamic stretches would include such movements as arm circles, hip rotations, flowing movements as in yoga, or as in walking or jogging. Some of the other dynamic stretch exercises that Holcomb recommends include:
- Goose-step March: Slowly lifting your leg straight out in front of you, alternating as you walk with your normal stride length.
- Knee lifts: As you're jogging or walking, bring your knees up toward your chest. For a variation, as your right knee comes up, twist the lifted leg gently to the left and your up-per body gently to the right for a spinal twist. Repeat on each side as you jog or walk. 3. Butt-kicks: As you jog or walk, bend one knee and lift it behind you as if you were try-ing to kick yourself in the butt. It stretches the quadriceps.
Holcomb notes that the point of doing these exercises is to do them slowly and controlled at your own pace. Stop if you get tired or you have energy for your workout.
See, “New Ideas In Proper Stretching Techniques,” by Julie Bain, Reviewed by Louise Chang, on 10/25/2010, www.webmd.com. Anyone with mobility, health or balance problems should consult their physician or work with a trainer if they have any health or safety concerns.
Stretch Your Faith
Both physical fitness and spiritual fitness require that we s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Remember, GOD is still THE LORD ALMIGHTY. HE still does thing “exceedingly,” “abundantly,” “beyond” and “above all” we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) GOD sees beyond our situations so, most importantly, HE knows the direction we are to need to stretch. HE knows far more about our needs and abilities than each of us. HE is our MAKER. Like the “Barren Woman” we just need to have faith!
Keep s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g, keep opening your heart to GOD’s WORD and BE BLESSED!
