Stretch, Don’t Snap
The rubber band, which comes in different colors and sizes, is designed to stretch. If I am not careful with the band, it can be used incorrectly, and I can hurt someone and myself. Two points to consider:
Don’t snap; it will cost you.
The words snap is not a biblical word, but the concept is in the Bible. Snap is a sudden, sharp sound or action of something brittle. When you snap, it is like a bite. It is also a strong emotion. Snap is a slang term with a strong emotion of suddenly losing control after a back-up stretch. When you snap, the breaking point has been reached. To snap is to give way and to ultimately lose control. We all have moments where we will snap.
Illustration of people snapping. King Samuel snapped at David. Peter snapped and cut someone’s ears off. Even Jesus snapped when people did foolish things in the Temple of God. In this lesson, Moses snapped at the people of God. Moses was frustrated with the people of God because they kept going backwards. The young Moses snapped and killed an Egyptian and hid the body. When you snap, it will cost you.
Did it cost Moses and Aaron the privilege to see the promised land? Is anything worth your freedom? In this time of stretching, you need to stay in the presence of the Lord. Moses striking the rock twice with the rod changed the purpose of the rod. Water gushed out, and the people drank. The water represents God as the true living water. God provided water for the people despite what Moses did to the people of God. God told Moses that he did not trust God enough to honor Him as holy in the sight of the people.
God promises to sustain life. God gives to the beast and gives to the just as well as the unjust. God promises love and salvation. God promises peace that surpasses all understanding. Considering all that God has promised, is it worth losing it?
Stretch it will bless you.
There is a blessing on the side of stretch. The more you stretch, the further you can go. In organizations called the stretch lab. Stretch Lab is about professional stretchers who know how to stretch you without hurting you. They are designed to help you become flexible. Stretch lab focuses on areas of weakness. They guide the stretching for targeted areas. Forcing a stretch alone risks injuries. The Holy Spirit is designed to stretch you in spiritual growth. The Lord wants to stretch you safely. Believers of Christ, we are designed by God to stretch. Illustration of individuals who stretched.
Abraham stretched himself and trusted God to leave his family
Elijah stretched himself over the widow’s son
Jesus stretched and took a few fish and loaves of bread and fed thousands
Stretch wide your tent because Jesus is sending them your way. Embracing God’s stretch increases our ministry.