Released from Captivity

You would have noticed her on the street:  the woman bent over double, a spirit of infirmity preventing her from straightening her back for 18 years. She was a daughter of Abraham, a Jewish woman of faith, and she was in the synagogue that Sabbath day when Jesus was there teaching. Jesus noticed the woman and called out to her and proclaimed that she was now free from this infirmity. He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood upright and praised God. (Luke 13:11-13). Jesus told the rulers of the synagogue that it was Satan who had kept this poor woman in bondage, but now she was “loosed from the bond.” (Luke 13:16)

We are all born in captivity, in bondage to Satan, just as this woman was. The Bible tells us this in Galatians 4:3: “So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental spirits of the world.”   We are “slaves of sin” according to Romans 6:17.

By Jesus’ death on the cross He paid the penalty for sin and offers us new life and freedom from the old bondage to Satan and his power. “He delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14) This is something we accept by faith. “We know that our old sinful self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6) This is good news for us!

Jesus said that he came to “proclaim release to the captives.” (Luke 4:18a) As the once bent-over woman did, praise God for your release from bondage, and start living your new life, resident of the kingdom of Jesus.  Now let’s take a look at straightening up!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He  loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)"…(Ephesians 2:4-5)

   

Now for our Exercise...

The Back Extension

  

Today’s exercise is called the Back Extension and it helps you strengthen your middle back. It’s one of the most important ones because it counteracts the stooped-over posture we tend to acquire as we age. With a strong  back you can be more erect when you stand or sit, so  you will look taller and slimmer. There will be more room for air to come into your lungs so you can breathe more easily. These are all benefits that make this exercise worthwhile.

  

Press your back against the back of the chair or seat.
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It’s easy  to learn the Back Extension while seated. You just need to have a chair with a firm seat and back and be able to slide your hips all the way to the back of the seat (so your entire back is against the back of the chair). Sit upright and simply press backwards.  Feel  your  middle back and the area around your shoulder blades pushing against the chair and the chair pushing against you. You should not feel any pain. If you feel any pain while you are doing an exercise, stop and do not continue!   Keep pressing against the back of the chair while you take a deep breath. Then release.  Do this two or three more times. You can repeat this exercise a couple more times during the day.  My favorite place to do it is while driving  because I am already sitting against the back of the seat,  but you can also do it on a bus, train or  plane.  How about doing it each time you come to a particular intersection?  If you are driving a long distance or working at a desk,  it’s a nice stretch break. You might also want to post a note to remind yourself to do the exercise.

In the future, we will do other versions of the Back Extension which are more challenging and will add more strength. For now, practice this one every day. Before long, you will notice the added  length  and strength!