After the instruction to raise God’s rod of authority at the cusp of the Red Sea, the directive given to Moses was ” … stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water …”1 This suggests to me that in this journey of life, we will often need to extend ourselves beyond our current boundaries and attainments to get to subsequent phases God has for us.
It is often said that there is if you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done (either qualitatively or quantitatively). Another way of communicating this is that there is no growth without change, and (we instinctively know) that there is no change without pain (or discomfort, i.e., an extension of some sort). Daily examples of this abound, such as elongating bones that produce greater physical heights, enlarging fat cells that cause a wider girth, the improved agility brought about by slow stretching and relaxation of muscle fibers, creative innovations birthed by knowledge-expanded minds, or the transformative insights from the careful study of God’s Word that catalyze revolutionary shifts in all areas.
These examples reaffirm the fact that extending ourselves beyond our current state always results in change. Physics gives us parallel insights into this. It reveals how the atoms and molecules within a piece of material that is stretched beyond its elastic limit (i.e., the maximum stress it can withstand before undergoing permanent deformation, or in our case, transformation) are permanently displaced from their original positions such that the mother material fails to return to its original shape and dimensions, having been transformed into a new shape or dimensions. Physics calls it deformation; heaven calls it transformation.
I listened to a message1 a few weeks ago that reinforced this and other profound truths while setting my heart ablaze. It underscored the importance and goal of all positive stretching exercises – growth for greater impact. God constantly commands us to grow so we can experience His fullness and exert greater impact on our world.2 One of the best ways to do this, second only to a steady, healthy diet and exercise of God’s Word, is to stretch ourselves beyond our current limits. By doing so, we break out of jail, so to speak, moving on to bigger and better things!
Dear friend, break out of your current boundaries and limitations to the extraordinary things God has for you beyond …; STRETCH!!
“Enlarge the dimensions of your tent, STRETCH your tent curtains wide …”
(Isaiah 54:2 )
**For questions on how to get to know God personally through Jesus Christ or for other inquiries, please email: graced@thewordofhisgrace.com
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