Isaiah 58:11a The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones.
A new study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2017 states that genetics has an impact on the bone mineral density. A bone is a living tissue and regular exercise keeps our bones healthy and strong. Exercise improves bone health, increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance. Inactivity causes loss of bones! Weight-bearing and resistance exercises such as walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing strengthens bones. Hence bone strength is determined partially by our genetics but partially by our personal discipline and exercise.
The spiritual structure and stature will be strong when our soul is continually guided by the Lord. King Hezekiah was the 13th successor to the throne of David. The Father of Hezekiah, King Ahaz was a wicked king who practised detestable occult practice and even sacrificed his sons in fire. The pathogen of pagan idol worship exploded during his reign. However, Hezekiah did right in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that David his father (ancestor) had done (2 kings 18:3); as his great granddad (David) was in his bones!
A common idiomatic parable in Israel was ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’ (Jeremiah 31:20). Just because one generation has slipped into a sinful lifestyle, the brood need not breed in sin. Every family has a godly great-grandpa David and a virtuous son Hezekiah. If our family doesn’t have one, we can be the David to our ancestry or the Hezekiah to change the trajectory of our pedigree.
Strengthen the spiritual skeleton of the soul:
- Exercise: Those who exercise achieve a greater bone density than those who don’t. As nutrition and exercise prevents bone loss and builds bone mass, regular Bible reading and prayer builds our spiritual structure. The Word of God is nutrition that seeps through our skin into our bones dividing joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12b). Regular fasting and prayer are soul exercises that teaches us to lean, listen and leverage obedience. A disciplined soul has brawny, boney spiritual structure.
- Exorcise: We cannot feed on junk and build healthy bones. As a healthy diet is the sustenance to the bones, holiness is the substratum to the soul. Envy, anger and pride are oily foods that destroy the stature of the soul. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones (Proverbs 14:30). Jealousy is not just an impulsive reaction but a structural imperfection. Greed, covetousness, and voracity eats into the bones like cancer. Exorcise unhealthy traits from the soul that disintegrates the spiritual structure.
- Energize: Build on bone mass. Hezekiah did not build his kingdom on the flaccid foundation of his wicked father Ahaz but on the lucid rudiments laid 13 generations ago by his great-granddad David. It doesn’t matter if we cannot trace a David in our family line; Jesus is our perfect prodigy. Follow the footsteps of Jesus. Ask yourself this question several times during the day as you face challenging circumstances and difficult decisions – “Is my foundation on Jesus the rock?” Energize yourself with the powerade of God’s guidance.
Is your grandpa in your bones?
Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Prayer: Jesus, be my divine trainer to exercise my bones. Energize me with your guidance and exorcise envy, anger and pride that rots my bones. Amen.
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