03/02/2016 S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G – Part II
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
The prophet Isaiah’s prophesy about the future glory of the church in Isaiah 54 came true. In the New Testament books of the Bible, the cords of the church’s tent stretched out to Judea, Samaria and Galilee. Then the tent curtains stretched out to Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Colossae and the other cities on Paul’s missionary journeys. Today, the cords of the Christian church stretch worldwide. There are Christian churches all around the world.
The natural state of the church (or any member of the “church body”) is not to be stationary, blocked, walled in or cornered. We are to stretch. The church’s strength depends on its ability to S-T-R-E-T-C-H----to reach out----always trusting GOD, always in FAITH, always trusting that HE will “fill the tent” and that HE will provide.
STRETCHING – AFTER A WARM-UP
Regular stretching after a warm-up has a number of benefits:
- Regular stretching increases flexibility, which makes daily tasks easier;
- Regular stretching increases range of motion of your joints, which helps your mobility;
- Regular stretching improves circulation;
- Regular stretching promotes improved posture;
- Regular stretching relieves stress and relaxes muscles; and
- Regular stretching helps to prevent injuries, especially if your joints are tight.
See, “Flexibility: Stretch Your Way To Better Health,” www.mayoclinic.org.
Try to target major muscle groups or specific parts of the body: calves, hips, lower back, upper back, shoulders, oblique’s (side of body); trapezius (large muscle in the upper and lower back, triceps (back of upper arm); biceps (front of upper arm), etc.). You can work on a specific muscle group every day or work on several muscle groups a day. Or, you can target upper body flexibility exercises one day and then lower body flexibility exercises the next day. Just remember to try to achieve a total body stretch workout.