Energy

 energy

[ˈenərjē]

NOUN

1.     the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

synonyms:

vitality · vigor · life · liveliness · animation · vivacity · spirit · spiritedness · fire · 

·       (energies)

a person's physical and mental powers, typically as applied to a particular task or activity.

 

Yesterday was an interesting day.  For most of it, I felt like I had very little ENERGY.  On our morning walk, I noticed that I didn’t just feel tired, but spent…if that makes sense.  As we turned to walk down the berm around the neighborhood pond and head home, I had to make a conscious decision that we could do this and make it back.  I’m thankful that it was a beautiful day with only a light breeze and that Fiver was very cooperative and not wanting to pull off course to sniff every wild scent that floated across his nose!

Once home, I thought that the better discretion would be to take it easy for the rest of the day and not trim my boxwoods in the front yard.  So, that is what I endeavored to do.  I even sat down for about an hour and read a book… which is something I NEVER do during the day!  By late afternoon, I was feeling good, barbequed a steak on my Weber and then sat down for dinner and a little TV. 

But… Then I made the mistake to watch a Hallmark movie!  The movie itself was fine but when it came to the end with the gal looking at her special guy with THAT LOOK of affection all over her face… well… you guessed it… my emotional plane crashed and began to burn! 

As I glanced from the TV to some pictures of Piper, hanging on the wall next to it… I suddenly realized just how much I miss THAT LOOK in her eyes… toward me.  And even though in the course of her long deteriorating illness, it’s probably been about ten years since I really saw that heartfelt look in her eyes… I still realized how much that it ALWAYS meant to me, how wonderful it was to be loved by someone else and to have that special, giving relationship and bond with another individual that is TOTALLY unique to any other relationship with anyone else. 

…and I noticed, when I turned out the living room lights a little while after that and headed to the bedroom, that I was suddenly feeling pretty spent again. 

I had an extra early wakeup call this morning around 4:00, with the booms of thunder and the dog whimpering next to the bed.  So, I was a bit bleary eyed when I sat down in my study with a hot cup of coffee in my hand a little earlier than normal.  But then an interesting transformation began to happen in me as I opened up my Bible and read from the beginning of Hebrews 4:12 where the writer notated that, “God's word is living and active…” (God’s Word ©)

A quick click of my mouse in my Bible Study program switched translations and I couldn’t help but smile when The Passion Translation seemed to hit home declaring, “For we have the living Word of God, which is full of ENERGY…”  And, let me tell you… if anyone needed ENERGY at that moment, it was me… and I must admit… THAT I GOT IT!

With a surge of excitement, I started clicking through more translations on my computer and then jumped up and pulled a few of the older and more obscure Bible versions that I have on my bookshelves in the study.  All in all, I ended up looking through at least twenty other translations to learn whatever unique thoughts that other Biblical scholars had when translating this verse to fit their perspective generations.

The one that seemed to perfectly sum up the purpose of this verse was the S. Way, 1906 edition of “The Letters of St Paul to the Seven Churches and three Friends with the Letter to the Hebrews” where Paul stated that “God’s Word, on which I base my argument, is not a thing of the past nor something external to us; it is still living; it is instinct with ENERGY”

…and what I noticed as I got immersed in the Word this morning… was that… I was suddenly filled with ENERGY!  Wow! 

That realization got me to thinking of how it was His supernatural ENERGY that is innate to the Word of God, that empowered me to push through the times of exhaustion that I had to deal with when caring for Piper, 24/7 for the last eight years of her earthly presence.  It was the Word of God that I verbally confessed at night after putting her to bed, or during those precious times studying the Word each morning, along with all the scriptures I read to Piper and the scripture-based books we read every day that propelled me to do whatever needed to be done at any time day or night.

Then… as I began to think about it… I recalled how many of the folks who had the hardest times dealing with Piper’s declining health… always seemed to be tired and/or lacking ENERGY.  Their repeated excuses for not being able to visit or call Piper was that they were either “too tired” or “too busy.” 

Hummm… I’m not in a position to judge… but do you think that maybe they didn’t spend quality time in the Word and thereby lacked the added ENERGY required to put themselves into an uncomfortable position of facing Piper’s visible decline?  That would also explain their surprising lack of faith when it came to agreeing with us in our stand for Piper’s and my needs to be met during that time… after all… Romans 10:17 does tell us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (EMTV)

So, like I said… Hummmm… There does seem to be a correlation between our intake of God’ anointed Word and our physical levels of ENERGY.  I’ve experienced in the past… and continue to experience it today! 

How About You?

It’s definitely something to consider… wouldn’t you agree?  Have a great new week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God to ENERGIZE you through your study of His Word… and in your EXPECTATION of His best for you… TODAY!