Strong in faith, giving glory to God

It seemed like an impossible promise to fulfill, but Abraham believed what God told him: “You will be the father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 17:4) You may recall that Abraham was 100 years old and his wife, Sarah, was 90, and they were childless. Yet Abraham believed God, in “hope against hope” and his faith did not weaken. (Romans 4:18 – 19) Abraham was fully aware of the human limitations of his and Sarah’s advanced age, but he did not focus on that. Instead, Abraham believed and trusted in what God promised him. “Yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Romans 4:20)

Growing strong in faith as a way of glorifying God is a new lesson for me. Look at what Peter said in 1 Peter 1:6-7: “..even though now…you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (italics added) Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and this verse says that our faith is not only precious to God, but brings glory to Him.

What promises of God might you claim in the midst of trials that are distressing you? God’s Word, the Bible, and especially the Psalms, are filled with God’s promises. Read and meditate on scripture every day and write down verses that are particularly helpful for your situation. Model yourself after Abraham, not wavering in unbelief, but growing strong in faith, giving glory to God.

As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 18:30

“Do not waver!” That is the key to this week’s exercise. Think “concentration” and “control.” You are going to be lying on your side in the same position we used last week- pretending you are a “stone wall.” So be sure to learn and practice that one first. (Click here for that one.) You will be using the muscles in your core and hips.

Lying on your side, make sure that your ears shoulders and hips are in a straight line.

(Let your head be an extension of your spine by letting it rest on your arm.) You want your hip bones “stacked” so that your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor. Prevent yourself from letting your hips rock forward or backward. To do this, you will need to keep your muscles in your midsection firm. (Pull your navel toward your spine!) Keep those muscles firm the entire time.

The leg closest to the floor or mat can be bent slightly to give you better support. The top leg will be straight with your foot slightly flexed. Now for the action part. Slowly sweep your top leg forward to about a 45 degree angle from your body,

keeping your leg the same distance off the floor the entire way. (That’s where the “do not waver” comes in! You are using your core.) Then sweep the leg back so it is slightly behind you.

That is one “rep.” Continue to breathe normally and concentrate on not letting your leg waver. Keep your leg on a nice, controlled, straight path as it travels forward and back. Also, as we did last week, prevent your hips from rocking forward or back.

If you have any pain, stop! If you ever have questions about whether an exercise is appropriate for you, be sure to ask your physician. When you are first starting you may want to make a shorter sweep with your leg, and gradually lengthen the distance. Start with two or three reps and build up to 12. Then turn over and do the same with your other leg. You may do these leg sweeps three times per week, but at least twice a week.

Leg sweeps definitely fit under the category of Length and Strength from the INSIDE Out, as you are using the deep muscles of your core to prevent your leg from wavering. Practicing this one will help strengthen your hips, but also improve balance and provide a firm base for other exercises you will learn!

Photo credits: focuspilates.com.sgCreativeCommons, L.E.Lang collection