SPIKE IT!

When you hear the phrase,

"SPIKE IT",

what do you think of?

Do you think of...

...Driving a volleyball over the net into your opponents face?

...Sneaking alcohol in the punch bowl or a soft drink?

...Creating a hair-style that stands straight up in a cool way?

...Maybe you're a guy, and "SPIKE IT" means using the remote control to change to your favorite TV "man channel"...


For me, a gardener, it recently meant pounding fertilizer SPIKES into the ground 2 feet from the trunk area of each tree and shrub in my yard.

This past weekend I SPIKED over 30 fertilizer spikes in my back yard getting my landscape ready for fall/winter. As I slammed my rubber mallet down multiple times with each spike, I pondered how the phrase, "SPIKE IT", means different things to different people. When considering the term SPIKE IT (or any word/term for that matter), a person needs to consider who's saying it, how they're saying it, and what circumstances surround them saying it. The terms' meaning is determined by multiple considerations that need to be thought through.

As I continued in my yardwork, I began to think about how, in the Bible, there's many places that can be misunderstood if factors aren't considered and thought through. There are places in the Old Testament that tells us to "fear the Lord" and people tend to take that phrase in the literal form... to be afraid of the Lord. Many of the Bible references to "fear the Lord" aren't saying to be AFRAID of God, but to RESPECT & HONOR Him in a form of reverence. For a long time, I was guilty myself of hearing the phrase, "fear the Lord", and thinking it meant I must be "fearful" and "afraid" of Him. That mentality kept me from a closer relationship with Him.

Another phrase is, "...I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God..." (Exodus 20:5- emphasis mine) Many think that God being a jealous God, means God is "jealous" OF us- he wants what we have; which is far from the actual meaning. The translation is from a Hebrew word meaning God is *focusing his desire for exclusive relationships. God being "a jealous God" means he wants FOR US what He has to give us... NOT He wants FROM US what we have. HUGE DIFFERENCE!

My point in sharing my weekend insights is to encourage you to think and ponder the different words and phrases in your everyday life and also those as you explore Scripture. Sometimes when you read a passage in the Bible that doesn't make sense, ask God to give you wisdom and discernment to understand. He will do this for you as you seek Him. (James 1:5) Also, take the time to look deeper into the who, what, where, when, etc; you'll be blessed for your effort to understand.

The ultimate "SPIKE IT"...

Thank You, Jesus!

* The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance