This Stuff Really Works!

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong?  Well… my day yesterday was NOT one of those days… at least for the vast majority of it.

The day seemed to begin with a bang!  Piper started out a bit slow at breakfast, but then developed a rhythm in her swallowing and ended up drinking a good portion of her protein shake.  Then came church with great Praise and Worship followed by a great Word shared by the Pastor.  In fact, His teaching went right along with what the Lord had been showing me in my private study earlier in the morning.  I love when that happens!

Following the service, I decided it was a good day to give the back lawn its first haircut of the season.  And even though I was tired, I knew that it would be good for me to get out and enjoy the warm sunny day. (My Mom always encouraged us kids to get out and get some fresh air and exercise when we were feeling lazy – and I’ve always followed that advice!) 

So out came the riding mower and away I went with Fiver chasing me around the yard the whole time!  There’s nothing better than being able to look back at a nice evenly trimmed yard to give me great satisfaction.  But I noticed a few places that I couldn’t quite get to with the riding mower.  Then came the dilemma…

Should I take out the string trimmer and even out the edges or should I wait until tomorrow?  Well… I was feeling pretty good at that moment so I decided to go for it and gas up the trimmer and let ‘er rip!  Then after using the blower around the patio area and deck, the yard really looked nice!  So with great satisfaction we went back inside, had lunch and enjoyed the rest of the day!

Everything was going well until after dinner when I was relaxing on the couch and my tummy began to let me know that I had done a little too much during the day.  Yikes!  Ever heard of Montezuma’s Revenge!  Let’s just say getting Piper and I to bed took a little bit longer than normal!  But you know?  All was not lost, for as I finally laid down on the bed with rumblings being heard from deep inside of me, I remembered the Word that the Father had shown me at the start of the day from John 6:63.  The King James Version tells of Jesus telling His disciples that: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; (for) the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life.”

The Message Bible accents His thought saying: “Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.”  As I recalled those two versions of the Scripture, I began to think of how God’s Word isn’t just a good word in due season, or words to take comfort by, but they are actually a force that re-vitalizes our physical bodies when we take it into our hearts.  In the Greek, to “quicken” means to “re-vitalize, to arouse and invigorate, and to give increase of life: thus of physical life.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)

So as I relaxed in bed, I began to speak His Word of life over my body and I began to sense the difference within just a few moments!  My stomach quieted down, the uncomfortable feelings abated and I suddenly felt His peace come upon me!  Jesus said that it is the Spirit that re-vitalizes us and that His Word is both Spirit and life to us!  WOW!

Isn’t God good!  It’s like I always told our kids: “This stuff really works!”  So give it a shot this week.  When you’re physically tired or not feeling so hot, pick up His Word and begin to read it aloud and let His Spirit and Life fill and consume you.  And I bet that before you know it you’ll discover that you are feeling a whole lot better and maybe even a bit energized!

Have a GREAT new week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Who’s Word am I expecting to re-vitalize my body this week?”