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

Incline...

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding……Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:2,5

“Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding.” Since we are going to “incline” in this week’s exercise, these words from Proverbs 2:2 caught my eye. The Hebrew word for “heart” can sometimes be translated as “mind” or “intelligence,” and Proverbs 2 is about understanding God better.

The surrounding verses in Proverbs 2 are a series of “if” clauses. If you “receive my words and treasure my commands within you”, if you cry out for understanding and search for it as you would for valuable treasure, then you will “discern the fear of the Lord and Discover the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1, 3-5). “Receiving my words” means taking time to read and soak up and meditate on scripture verses (an excellent habit to start during Lent) and asking God to help you understand and apply them to your life situation. Verse four likens this pursuit to seeking for silver. If you had lost a silver bracelet, you wouldn’t give a cursory look and then give up. You would do a thorough search and not stop until you found it. We should have the same dedication and seriousness when “receiving” God’s Word.

Proverbs says that the reward for this search is knowledge of God. Paul, who, prior to becoming an apostle of Jesus Christ, was rich in worldly knowledge, position and opportunity, certainly valued knowing God through Jesus. Paul stated, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8a) In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as God’s wisdom: “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30) Knowing Jesus is the key. By itself, studying the scriptures does not result in eternal life. Believing in Jesus Christ does. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

Soaking up and treasuring words in the Bible lead to faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and to understanding the fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 2:5) This fear is not a feeling of being “scared.” The fear of the Lord is reverence and awe, a mixture of honor and respect for God. These verses promise that we will better understand God’s greatness, sovereignty, His mighty power, His compassion and love in sending His Son to die on the cross to give new life to you and me. (John 3:16) This knowledge of God leads to awe and reverence, to worship and praise, and to life lived with a new purpose. (2 Corinthians 5:15)During Lent, spend time in God’s Word. On Easter Day, the “Alleluias” will be heart-felt.

Now, to incline your body…

This week’s exercise- the “Incline”- is great for multi-tasking because it covers several areas: the hips, legs, back and abdominals. It strengthens your core (which helps your balance) and makes you aware of what each of your body parts are doing. Plus, you can do it lying on the floor. With all these advantages, let’s get started right away!

Lie on a mat or carpet with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor directly below your knees. (You may place your feet a little farther out if it is difficult to bend your knees to that angle.) Your legs should be hip-width apart and your knees should point toward the ceiling. Rest your arms on the floor at your sides and maintain the natural curvature of your spine. Take a couple of breaths and pull your shoulders downward, away from your ears.

Now slowly lift your hips upward off of the mat, keeping your hips level as you do this. Only lift your hips to a comfortable height. (Remember, you do not want any pain. If you have pain, stop!) You will feel the muscles in your back, the front of your thighs, and abdominal area at work.

Hold here and keep breathing normally. Squeeze your gluts (buttocks) and at the same time pull your navel inward toward your spine. (See the photo at right.) Keep your shoulders on the floor and maintain the normal curvature in your back (so it does not arch).

Hold this incline position for two good breaths and then slowly lower your hips back down to the mat. You may repeat this one or two times when you are starting and build up to ten “reps.” The Incline (also known as the “Bridge”) can be done every day. Remember to check with your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program!

Here are some extra options to add variety and challenge: While holding your hips in the upper position, do some Pelvic Floor Exercises (“Kegels”). To add challenge to your core, you may extend one leg and hold (The hard part is to keep your hips level!), then return your foot to the mat. Repeat with the other leg. When you are lowering your hips, another method is to ease down gradually – one vertebra at a time. Pretend your spine is a string of pearls and you are lowering the string into a jewelry box one pearl at a time.

Once you master the technique, you can do this one while on the phone, watching tv, or just while resting your eyes. Doing the “Incline” will produce length and strength in the essential areas of your body!

Photos: Theen..'s photostream, health.lilithezine.com creative commons

Strong Legs

“Hmm,” you think to yourself, “there’s someone carrying a pallet down the street. Hey, wait a minute. He’s the same guy who was paralyzed before! Four men were carrying him on that pallet a little while ago!” Sure enough, the formerly paralyzed man was now walking with an energetic, joyful step, holding the pallet (a light bed or mattress) in his arms with ease, as he shifted it to avoid bumping into people on the streets of Capernaum. (Or maybe he carried it on top of his head as was the custom in that day?) Moments earlier, Jesus had proclaimed to the paralytic and the crowd that the man’s sins were forgiven. (Mark 2:5) This was an inner healing and cleansing that was instant and complete. Then Jesus told the man to “get up, pick up your pallet and go home,” an outer healing to verify that Jesus indeed had the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:10-11) This forgiveness is available to everyone in our day if a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God sent to die on the cross to pay the penalty for all sins. (John 3:16)

In this story (and in a similar one in John 5:2-15) I wondered why Jesus said “pick up your pallet and walk.” Why not just tell man to get up and walk away? (Was Jesus teaching that we should pick up after ourselves? Maybe! ) The people who were not witness to the miracle could now at least see the outward signs of redemption and new life. If the former paralytic had simply exited the house and walked down the street empty-handed, possibly no one would have noticed him. But carrying that bed would catch someone’s attention. (In John 5:10 that healed man got the wrong kind of attention - getting into trouble for carrying his pallet on the Sabbath day.)

Okay, so it’s not necessary to carry a bed around. But is there some outward evidence about you of the inner miracle of being forgiven, cleansed of the guilt of sin and given new, eternal life? This would not be something you are trying to show off or be prideful about, but something different about you that another person might see. Maybe it is compassion for someone less fortunate, patience or humility you didn’t have before, a willingness to go the extra mile, or love. Mark 2:12 says the healed man went out of the house “in the sight of everyone.” Their reaction? “They were all amazed and were glorifying God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’ " Whatever Jesus has told you to “pick up,” whatever change has occurred on the inside and the outside of you when your sins were forgiven, may it all be for the glory of God!

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Walking, one of the basic activities of daily life, requires strong legs. Last time we worked the quadriceps on the front of the thigh (Click here if you missed that one.) and this week we will focus on the “hamstrings” muscles which run down the back of your thigh. The hamstrings are actually three sets of muscles responsible for pulling you leg backward (at the hip) and for flexing your knee (pulling your heel up toward your buttocks).

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. (You also want your knees slightly bent when you are standing in line or while standing and working, not “locked” in a straight position because this can throw off your alignment.) If your balance is a little unsteady, you should hold onto a counter top or the back of a sturdy chair. Now bend one knee and lift your heel toward your fanny, counting to three as you do this. Then lower to the count of three. (Keep your thighs parallel to each other.) You will feel your hamstrings contract as you lift your heel. Lift your heel again for a total of eight to 12 repetitions, or alternate legs (8 to 12 “reps” for each leg). Only bend your knee as far as it is comfortable for you. In other words, no pain! If you have any concerns about your legs, contact your physician before trying this exercise.

If you do not want to bend your knees, try this seated version: Sit in a sturdy chair with your heels on the floor a few inches in front of the chair. Put a heavy book or other object behind your heels. Pull your navel toward your spine to support your back. Now try to drag your heels along the floor toward you. The books will prevent them from moving but your hamstrings will still get a workout.

Here is another one. Stand facing and holding onto a wall. Your feet are again shoulder-width apart and knees are slightly bent. Now lift one leg just a little ways toward the back. Pretend there is a ball behind your heel and you want to kick it gently away from you. Note here that your entire leg is lifting (as opposed to just the lower leg that we just did), so the action is from the hip. These are little kicks to the back, not big ones! Take special care to keep your hips level. (Click keep pelvis in neutral if you forgot that exercise.) Perform eight to 12 on each leg. An alternative for this one is to lie face down on a mat or carpet and lift one leg about three inches from the floor. Repeat with the other leg so you do eight to 12 on each leg.

Do these hamstring exercises at least twice a week. If you are not sore, you may do them every day if you wish. In future posts you will learn other exercises to help with strengthening your legs and hips. Keeping your legs strong will allow you to continue your normal activities and live independently. This is part of the purpose of “Length and Strength from the Inside Out!”