Category Archives: Stretching

Bible, Choices, Chosen, Romans, Scripture, Strength, Stretching

NOT THE CUSTOM

ROMANS 9:10

“And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;”

I have a ministry colleague whose younger daughter is getting married next month. He has one other daughter who is older. I joked with him recently if he was going to pull a “Laban” and give the older daughter to his future son-in-law and then his younger. He said his younger daughter would not be happy about that. Well, I guess not, lol. But it is normal for the older to marry before the younger, at least in most families.

Why do I bring up that illustration? Because Paul refers to another one of God’s contrary-to-custom decisions today. It would have been the custom for God to choose Esau over Jacob. After all, Esau was the first-born twin. But God chose the younger. Just as He turned from the Jewish nation, which He had chosen, to the Gentiles, Paul had been given the task of preaching the Gospel to these foreign nations. I am sure, at first, Saul (now named Paul) wondered about this decision. But he was faithful to God’s calling.

APPLICATION

How do we apply this verse to our lives? I think it’s clear. We cannot assume anything about God’s plans for our lives. We should never think God will choose the way of least resistance. In fact, it is usually just the opposite. He puts us on paths that will test and try us to build us into followers of Jesus who can withstand the attacks that will come upon us.

The Expositor’s Greek Testament says regarding God’s decision to choose Jacob over Esau, “this was done by God of His sovereign freedom:” Who can argue against God? Who knows the mind of God? In Job 40:8, God answers Job with a strong rebuke. “‘Will you really nullify My judgment? Will you condemn Me so that you may be justified?’” Of course, Job receives that rebuke and repents of his self-righteousness. He yields to the authority of God over his life, whatever that brings.

Will you allow God to do the noncustomary thing in your life? Will you allow Him to stretch you? Stretching is not comfortable to me, physically or spiritually. But I know it is good for me in both instances. Stretching physically protects my muscles and joints as I exercise. Stretching spiritually will also build up my “faith muscle” and give me the power to do whatever God has for me. But you have to trust God to lead you. Will you do that?

I have to be honest, Father. I don’t like the stretches You give me sometimes. But I am thankful for the end results.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Goals, Reaching, Scripture, Stretching

REACHING FORWARD

PHILIPPIANS 3:13

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”

As I was playing cars with my little 11 month old grandson, I watched as he stretched to reach this one little car that is his favorite. We have this building complete with ramps and tunnels and his little car had gotten stuck in the tunnel. He reached and stretched. While I was tempted to jump in and rescue the car for him, instead, I watched. He kept reaching and straining to grab that car until finally…he did. Boy, his face just lit up to say, “Look what I got!” He was so proud.

The word Paul uses in today’s verse for “reaching forward” is only used right here in the New Testament. It means “to stretch out, to extend, to reach forth, to strain after, to stretch forward.” That’s exactly what my grandson did and that is what Paul says he was doing. He was straining to reach his heavenly reward. Aren’t we all doing the same?

APPLICATION

Just like my grandson who had to do the stretching and reaching himself to grasp that car, Paul says we have to do this ourselves. The word is a Present Participle in the Middle Voice. This word is tied to the action verb which is found in the next verse (we’ll see that tomorrow). But you need to know that the Middle Voice is an action you must do yourself. Paul had to reach and strain himself. So do we.

We will also see tomorrow what Paul was straining for exactly. As followers of Christ who seek to obey Him, our goal should be the same. Instead, we get distracted and start reaching for all the wrong things. We grab at careers and houses and material possessions. We strain to get friends or business partners or that special date for Friday night.

What are you straining to reach? Is it Christ? Is it His Word? Or are you stuck in the perpetual stretch for stuff this world can offer? And it can offer a lot, most of which distract us from the real prize. They say you can look at your calendar and your bank account to see where your true priorities are. You might just want to take a gander at those this week. It may surprise you.

O Lord, help me stretch to reach You and only You. The other things are so easy to grab and distract.

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