"PE"

"Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them." (Psalms 119:129)

  How many of you remember a thing called P.E. as a kid? For some of us, it was the period we always hated and tried to get out of; for others, it was the period looked forward to, day after day. Well, this is going to be something very similar to that! As a matter of fact, this portion of Scripture comes with a warning: 'May cause increased faith in the substance of things hoped for; excitability in unexpected expectations; abundant joy, which might result in leaps and bounds; awareness to sin, which could result in sleeplessness and anxiety; and the ability to run like a champion, dying daily to self. If any or all of these conditions do not materialize, call upon the LORD, and try again!' Matthew Henry puts it like this: "See here how David was affected towards the word of God." I can recall my first day of P.E. in Navy Bootcamp. We were being instructed by a Seal, and he started off with trying to make us do something that was impossible: touching our heads to our knees without bending our legs! I thought, what the heck have I gotten myself into? It reminded me of the drills we had to perform on flights back in the 60's and 70's; you know, the ones where they made us all place our heads between our knees. You know what that actually meant, right? 'This plane is going down, so kiss your ____ goodby!' Sorry for the discomfort, but there is something you need to know. When we first started Basic Training, there was no way my head was touching my knees without bending my legs; but within two weeks, I was amazed that it I could do it, easily at that! I like to ride bikes; and when I say ride, I mean ride long and hard rides. Training is something required, especially the training to the seat and the discomfort of sitting on a seat which is only 6" wide, at the widest area. If you are a cyclist, then you know what I am talking about. It is really hard to finish a 100 mile ride if you saddle hurts within the first 25 miles. Believe it or not, but that is relevant to the message! What I hope to get from this is exactly what Matthew Henry is sharing; that I would be affected towards the word of God! This is the point of us needing the correction and inspiration, so much so, that it is something we crave. It makes us hurt and feel good at the same time, because we know that gain is not possible without some pain. It has got to hurt in order to work...

"O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you." (Isaiah 25:1-3) NLT