Make Sure You’re Flexible

In the track and field event of pole-vaulting, if the person wants to get above the bar, their pole has to flexible enough to bend but not break. But if it is too flexible it will bend, but give no lift. So the key is to make sure the pole has the right flexibility.

One of my favorite saying is “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.”

In the Bible you’ll find this unwillingness to bend in many different ways like when Pharaoh hardened his heart refusing freedom to the Israelites, and the consequences were ten plagues, the last one being the death of the first born.

This unwillingness to bend oneself to God can also be seen when God called Israel “stiff-necked,” and “hard-hearted.” God also called them obstinate and stubborn, and the consequences for this was severe. God allowed their enemies to rule over them, and then Babylon came and took them away as captives, completely destroying Jerusalem.

And such consequences are waiting for everyone who remains in this state, who hardens their hearts toward God, refusing to bend and obey.

The Bible says,

“A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed–without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1)

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5)

The people were unwilling and refused to bend to God’s will, and thus they were experiencing God’s judgment as a result.

Being flexible to God was at the heart of Evan Robert’s simple prayer that literally changed not only his life, but also Wales and the entire world, as revival swept around the globe. His prayer was three simple words, “Lord, bend me.”

And so if we want to live above the bar we need to be flexible and bendable to the will God’s will and stop being stiff necked and hard hearted.