Not that anyone has asked, but … I’ve got a sore knee. I don’t know if I bumped it, or twisted it without realizing I had hurt myself. But in the last few days, every step I take reminds me not to get too excited about bending my knee because it’s swollen, stiff, sore. It doesn’t want to bend these days.
I had planned to get out in the garden and do some planting. But I’ve decided to put that off for a few more days, to see if the swelling gets better. I’m taking an over-the-counter medicine that I hope will help with the inflammation. Who knows? That medicine might even help with some of the other ackey joints in my body, I don’t know. But for now, my main concern is my cranky knee. It doesn’t want to cooperate. Stiff as a fireplace poker.
As I sat rubbing my sore knee this morning, trying to convince it to loosen up a bit and relax, I somehow remembered some of the things The Book says about knees. If you want an interesting study, look up ‘knees’ in the bible. You might be surprised what you find.
Sometimes, when knees are mentioned, it’s concerning God’s discipline that’s associated with movement, growth, producing change in our lives. The writer of Hebrews said, “ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. It’s later on that it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. “Therefore,” says the writer, “ … strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.“
In my case, I’d love to think my sore knee is a result of God growing me, or stretching my feeble faith. But I think my weak knee is stiff from something else.
There are times when the bible refers to stiffened knees thatintentionally don’t bend. In the book of Esther, Mordecai would not bow down to Haman; he refused to bend his knee, not because his knee didn’t work, but because he was a servant of God. And he wasn’t about to bend his knee in worship to a mere man. There are, of course, so many instances in God’s Word when men and women bowed low and bent their knees before kings, and those in authority, to show submission, or respect.
Many Christian people prefer to approach God in prayer by kneeling before Him. I know some believers who kneel at their bedside every night in prayer, in fact. Somehow, there’s just something special about the opportunity for demonstrating reverence and acknowledging God’s sovereign authority in that simple act of kneeling.
There can be such a stiffness and resistance in some people’s lives to the idea of praying, or bending a before God. Someday, though. The bible says that someday, every knee on earth will be bent in submission to Jesus Christ:
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil., ch.2)
When I lost my vocal cords, I worried that my prayers would not be heard. I have an electrolarynx, but it’s not a sound I like very much, and it just feels inappropriate for things like prayer. Eventually I realized that my prayers were almost entirely silent, just between me and God. They weren’t silent at all. I don’t say public prayers anymore. I just doesn’t feel right, but I try to plan ahead and make sure that there’s someone to lead in prayer, though I often just ask for silent prayers from everyone. For me, religion and the practice of it, is quite personal. My situation is clearly unusual, but this post made me think of my decision to avoid “aloud” prayers from my battery-operated buzz. That, too, is a personal choice. I post comments to these, but usually hit the enter button before I type in my name an email, which causes me to lose what I’ve written. I consider that a sign that I shouldn’t send those posts if my brain isn’t sharp enough to actually follow directions to send my comments. Best wishes, dear friend.
Rich,
You’re comments are always appreciated. Listening to the voice of your heart is not difficult to hear at all. Thnx for sharing your thoughts. And especially, thanks for sharing the website with others.
Try Arnica gel a natural remedy you can get over the counter at a pharmacy. Praying for the Lords healing.