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Spiritual Movement - "Incline"

The word incline is a Middle English word meaning to 'bend the head, body, or oneself to something'. It is used in a number of scriptures, such as Proverbs 2:2, which reads "So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding." The positions involved in this case are the ear in its un-inclined state, and the movement of the ear to an inclined state.  The implication is that when the ear is inclined in just the right way, wisdom at its source will more readily flow into the ear.  Joshua 24:23 reads "Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel." The original position presented here is the un-inclined hearts of the Israelite s to the true and living God. The Israelite s apparently wanted to serve the true God, but the false gods among them had caused their hearts to be inclined in many directions, except for the correct one.

In the natural world, the sun emits energy in the form of radiation, providing energy and thus life to the earth. Leaves of plants incline their surface perpendicular to the sun's radiation in order to maximize their surface area and receive the greatest amount of energy possible in order to produce the carbohydrates necessary to live. Vegetation has a natural inclination to direct its attention to energy and life giving sources in a form of righteous movement.

The Hebrew word for incline from these verses provides a different context meaning to stretch. When something is stretched, two positions are involved, thus constituting movement; the point of origin, and the point of destination. The object which originally only existed at the point of origin is stretched until it ultimately exists at the origin and the destination. Unlike the English word for incline, which simply points in the right direction, the Hebrew intent for the expression was to create an actual connection with the source through the process of stretching. This understanding improves the nature of my heart during a prayer. As we are told to wait and listen to answers as they come from the Lord, it is first important to position ourselves in order to hear, but also to position our spiritual lives in such a way that we are able to make a direct connection with heaven. When an honest and sincere prayer to Father in Heaven is made, His answer comes through the Holy Ghost when our hearts and ears are inclined to hear. But the distance between us and heaven can disappear as our hearts are stretched to his presence and make a real connection with him. 
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  1. UnknownDecember 13, 2017 at 2:54 AM

    This is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post.!
    Spiritual

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