Tuesday's Tidbit

Matthew 5:41

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Good morning, family and friends!

The Lord is good, and He has granted us another day to live and breathe. What a privilege to be alive and be able to see, hear, touch, taste, and feel - all because of the blessings of the Lord God Almighty. 

We met a sweet couple from VA this past Sunday night and, during the course of our time together, we talked much about the work of God. The young man spoke about doing more than was required of us, and I believe this was the Bible verse to which he was referring: 

Luke 17:10

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The subject of being and doing more for God has stayed with me since our time of fellowship. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about going the "extra mile." This morning, I looked up that phrase and found something interesting from the Wikipedia:

"The expression "the extra mile" refers to acts of service for others that go beyond what is required or expected. The expression probably comes from the Bible, when Jesus declares in his Sermon on the Mount, "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two." Matthew 5:41 (NASB)

The verse is a reference to the practice of "impressment" which, among other things, allowed a Roman soldier to conscript a Jewish native to carry his equipment for one Roman mile (milion = 1,000 paces, about 1,611 yards or 1,473 metres) citation needed -- no easy task considering a Roman soldier's backpack could weigh upwards of 100 pounds (45.4 kg). The editors of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible have suggested that going the extra mile would perhaps spare another from such compulsion,"

What can we do in order to feel that we have truly gone the extra mile? I believe we must first be more in God, as relates to our relationship with Him, before we can do more. The more time we spend in God's Word, in prayer, and in fasting, will allow us to feel His passion which will then enable us to fully carry out His plans. 

I found a few quotes that I liked regarding going the extra mile:

"Stop blaming people for not helping you solve your problems. The question is simple, "Are they the ones in the problem with you?" People may teach you, people may advise you, people may inspire you, but it takes YOU to go the extra mile and make an indelible impact!" - Israelmore Ayivor

"When God calls you to build 100 castles on earth and you built 98, take the 99th as if it's the beginning of your work and work hard to finish the race with all excellence. Go the extra mile!" - Israelmore Ayivor

I submit this blog post to you all today in an effort to "stir up the gift that is in me", but I hope it also encourages you to do the same. God help us arise from mediocrity and go the extra mile.

God bless your Tuesday and, if He's willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another spoonful!