Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
Development of hard bones from soft tissue in the womb is a stunning miracle! A fetus in a mother’s womb starts developing bone tissues from 8 to 10 weeks. Around 16 weeks, the mum enjoys that fluttering butterfly-like feeling of the baby’s movements in the womb. Bones absorb nutrients and minerals, gaining strength throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, attaining peak bone mass around late 20s and early 30s. The bones may lose density as a person continues to age and plummet during menopause for women. Osteoporosis is a susceptible disease that can weaken the bones and make them brittle. However there are ways to increase bone mass density by bone strengthening diet and exercise.
Metaphorically, our spiritual bone structure is formed with Biblical standards and moral values during the early formative years of spiritual growth. Spiritual bone mass or density can be lost when infected by sin, sickness and slackness. What is treasured in our heart, (both good values and bad traits), sinks into the spiritual bones as bone mass. Integrity develops a straight spine but dishonesty will develop a bent and crooked spiritual back. Unresolved anger and unforgiveness held in our heart over a period of time will sink into our bones as bitterness. His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust (Job 20:11). Many who walk up straight have bent spiritual backs and contorted Biblical views. Humility and holiness on the other hand builds bone mineral density. Spiritual uprightness sinks from the heart into the spine.
Straighten the spiritual spine:
- Age: Our bone structure becomes less dense with age resulting in a loss of bone tissue. Those with low bone mass are more prone to risks of bone breakage. As we grow spiritually, our views become stiff and inflexible due to lack of spiritual exercise. Humility, teachability and openness to learn, even from those who are younger than us, would keep our spiritual structure and spine healthy and straight. Humility shapes our spine and skeletal structure.
- Attitude: Bone-building in young adults takes a minimum three to four months. Similarly good or bad attitudes are built over time. Wrong attitudes if not corrected will sink into the bones like oil. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water.. into his bones like oil. (Psalms 109:18). Both purity or pride; fervour or frenzy are concealed in the bones. Jeremiah could not stop preaching as the Word of God was passionately shut up in his bones. His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones (Jeremiah 20:9b). The attitude of our heart becomes the fire in our bones.
- Animosity: Joint aches and pain are caused mainly due to decrease in bone density and inactivity. Anger, astringent and animosity, stigma or humiliation hoarded in the heart, delves deep into the bones, paralysing the spiritual spine. A wife who shames him is like rottenness in his bones (Proverbs 12:4b). Forgiveness straightens our spiritual spine.
Purity supports but promiscuity cripples our spiritual spine.
Psalm 35:10a All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You.
Prayer: Holy Father, help me to build my bone mass on modesty and meekness. I clothe myself in humility and not pride to strengthen my spiritual spine. Amen.
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