Up and At 'em!

It is now 6:50 AM and I have been up for more than an hour pondering my thoughts with the Lord. I have also thought of my morning excursion with my “grand-dog” Copper (she is our daughter’s Chocolate Lab). That is our exercise routine. (I can’t use the word “walk” or Copper will not give me rest until we take our, well, excursion).

Paul uses an interesting word in his first letter to Timothy 4:7-8, GUMNAZO, and GUMNASIA. It is the word from which we get our word gymnasium; 1 Tim 4:7-8 7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

You see the picture of a person in a gym exercising and exercising in an effort to either run faster than before, or lift more weight than before, or do some gymnastic skill better than before. He accomplishes it by continuing to do the same routine over and over and over again.
He then says while bodily exercise is of profit, godly exercise is of greater profit. So I wondered what constitutes “godly exercise” and a flood of “stuff” entered my mind; worship, good deeds, prayer, singing to the Lord and one another, Bible reading, witnessing. . . . Finally my mind settled in on a few verses I would like you to ponder throughout the day.

FIRST - Amos 5:14-15 14 Seek good , and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. 15 Hate the evil, and love the good, . . .

Victory over sin is often won in the mind. We need to exercise our minds to think and thus love what is good and to hate what is evil.

SECOND - Micah 6:6-8 6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Walking pleasingly to the Lord is more an act of grace than it is an act of worship. Many people can put on their Sunday best and “go to church” and accomplish absolutely nothing pleasing to God, if first their heart is not right before Him. He REQUIRES of His people the weight lifting of justice, love of mercy, and a humble walk before Him.

THIRD - Deut. 10:12-13, 20-11:1 12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?. . . 20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. 21 He [is] thy praise, and he [is] thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. 22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude. 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Because of all the Lord had done for Israel, they were continually reminded of what kind of devotion they should have toward Him.

We take application when we think of all He has done for us and sing the old chorus; “After all He’s done for me, after all He’s done for me, how can I do less, than give Him my best, and live for Him completely, after all He’s done for me.”

We devote ourselves over, and over, and over again to Him, by loving Him, and keeping His Word, and giving Him due reverence, and serving and cleaving unto Him.

Now our lesson. When our life is all said and done, what will have been better for me, to have been a body builder (which may mean I live in better physical health a perhaps a bit longer) or, a devoted servant of my Lord (which will be rewarded by a “well done good and faithful servant”, just prior to entering into the blessings of eternity)?

Now I am not saying, physical exercise is not worth anything. I am saying, godly exercise is worth far more.

Let’s take the time to care for our bodies, but be sure to not do it at the expense of our souls.

Have a wonderful day serving our Wonderful Lord, By Grace Alone!