The Stream

Proverbs 21 The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.

This is one of those verses that just stops me, the kind of verse that lingers in your thoughts and trickles down into your soul.

What an awesome tribute; maybe one of the greatest testaments in all of Scripture, to have a life that is flexible in His hands and fluid to His will.

I want this to be my testimony.

But part of me wants in the same way that I want a Bowflex body. :) I want it in a dreamy sort of way, but not enough to actually do what is required to obtain it.

So today it seems the topic is laziness. There is a paradox here also. Having a Bowflex body is all about self-discipline. The harder I work, the more results I see. In the physical the end result, the body I have, is largely up to ME. How I turn out is reflected in how much I am able to accomplish in my own strength.

To obtain the spiritual body, this testimony, is almost the complete opposite. I must become fluid in His hands; flexible, pliable....moldable (if that is a word). Basically, I must rest in His hand. Cease working. Stop struggling. Relax. And let Him turn me wherever He will.

There are some similarities in attaining these goals. Both bodies take time and patience, they will not happen overnight. They require faithfulness to reach the goal, steadfastness. In both bodies you see a cumulative type effect. They require you to dig deep within yourself, to endure. One type requires a deep reliance on self, the other requires a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit. Just as the physical body would need good food, consistent intake of sound nutrition and strict adherence to a low fat, low calorie, low sugar diet, the spiritual body must be constantly fed a steady diet of God's Word and prayer while removing some appetites or influences that pollute the spiritual body. The, You are what you eat, mentality applies to both forms of the body.

Probably the most significant difference is the long term results. How long will these bodies hold up?

Eventually, despite your best efforts, the human body will go to seed. The law of gravity applies to everyone. The body breaks down, wrinkles multiply, we grow old and tired and like a tent, eventually we are folded up. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

But in the spiritual body it is the opposite, I believe. We grow stronger and continue to build our strength right up until the moment we draw our last breath on this earth. We are building a body that will last for eternity. The Bible refers to it as "laying up treasure" in heaven. We are building a heavenly body while leaving behind a physical legacy.

What a wonderful promise!!

I just finished a breakfast of bacon, eggs, english muffins with raisins, butter, cinnamon and honey, along with an icy cold glass of chocolate milk. Well....there goes the Bowflex body.

The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.

Father, hide this truth also in the garden of my soul. Plant it there and give it the gift of deep roots. Breathe into it the breath of Your life and cause it to flourish. May it become strong, like the oak and put on branches.