There is an old joke at home that I shouldn’t speak before coffee. Well, this morning, I was nudged hard to share the word God put on my heart as I was waking.

“I need to look up the word spur. I used it yesterday when I was writing — ‘I was spurred to…’ — and I feel like there’s something in it.”

Mark went to retrieve our coffee and I entered a quick query into my phone.

Praise God for technology, especially when it is used to draw you closer to Father God!

The Spirit doesn’t waste a single word.

He uses even our “odd phrasing” to draw us deeper into His language. Spur? I knew there were no cowboys in The Bible. I had made a Cowboys joke with the request. What I found is too beautiful to not share.

“Spur” only presents itself directly in Hebrews:

Greek Word Study — παροξυσμός (paroxysmos)

The word spur in Hebrews 10:24 comes from the Greek παροξυσμός (paroxysmos).

It combines para (“beside”) and oxys (“sharp, keen, pointed”).

Literally, it means “a sharpening alongside.”

It’s where we get our English paroxysm — a sudden burst or intensity. Interesting to me that upon a 2025 definition, it’s predominantly a negative word. You can have a paroxysm of joy, but it appears to be an uncommon use.

In biblical context, it means a holy stirring — a sharp urging that awakens love into motion.

To spur one another on is to sharpen each other’s spirits until love breaks into action.

This isn’t a soft encouragement; it’s holy friction.

The kind of friendship that stirs, not soothes — that provokes us toward holiness, not comfort.

 The Companion Word — παρακαλέω (parakaleō)

The Apostle Paul uses a softer word for encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 5 : 11

Here, encourage comes from παρακαλέω (parakaleō) — to come alongside and call forth courage.

It’s the same root as Paraclete — the name Jesus gave the Holy Spirit. Oh, how I love telling everyone about my “pair of cleats”. 😇

It rests on my heart like beautiful tension: :

παροξυσμός (paroxysmos) — the sharp spur that awakens.

παρακαλέω (parakaleō) — the gentle voice that steadies.

The Spirit does both — He stirs and steadies, awakens and anchors.

Biblical Context

• Acts 15:39: Here, paroxysmos describes the “sharp disagreement” that led Paul and Barnabas to separate. 
• Hebrews 10:24: The word is used positively to encourage believers to “provoke one another (SPUR) to love and good deeds”. 

To be fair, looking at the “negative” conflict, I see His Hand using that conflict to spread the Gospel. Even Google says: “This separation, though born from conflict, ultimately allowed for the expansion of the Gospel to different regions. “.

Hebrew roots?

While spur doesn’t appear as a direct word in Hebrew, its heartbeat pulses through the verbs of divine awakening. I will dive deeper into these when called to do so.

עוּר (ʿur)

Root meaning: to rouse, awaken, stir up, arouse oneself, incite, awaken into consciousness.

“The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.” — Ezra 1 : 1

Super fun to see it doubled for emphasis in Isa 52:1.

This is ʿur twice — doubled for emphasis. It feels like a prophetic cry of restoration: “Wake up, dress in holiness, remember who you belong to!”

גָּרָה (garah)

Root meaning: to stir up, to excite, to provoke, to contend, to awaken into action

“Begin to provoke him to battle.” — Deut 2 : 24

שׁוּב (shuv)

Root meaning: to turn back, return, restore, bring back, repent.

“Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine.” — Ps 80 : 3

Of those three roots, my heart “moves to “shoove”, the pronunciation of shuv. This single root appears more than 1,000 times in the Hebrew Bible — more than any other verb of movement. It defines the very nature of repentance (teshuvah in Hebrew — literally “a returning”).

Everywhere this concept of “the Hebrew Spur” appears, the rhythm feels like “yield, awaken, MOVE!”

Awakening — The Spirit stirs (Ezra 1:1).

Sharpening — Community provokes one another to love (Hebrews 10:24).

Encouraging — The Spirit strengthens (1 Thess 5:11).

Surrender opens the door and the spur moves the feet. If Father God likes nudging me with the spur of His glorious cowboy boot spur, I am here for it. Thank you, Jesus!

Love in Truth and Action

To be spurred by God isn’t about being pressured — it’s about being prompted.

It’s the divine nudge that says it’s time to take action and move.

Maybe it’s time to forgive.

Maybe it’s time to serve.

Maybe it’s time to baptize, build, speak, or go.

Whatever the direction or action, the source is always the same. I love my internal GPS…God’s Perfect Son. I love these lessons which are anchoring my heart and spirit all the more to His Word.

I was spurred to study “spur” before coffee. I flipped to Numbers 14 and have been processing it most of the day. My Matthew 28:30 blanket at the shop had me singing a new song all day.

Father God,
Stir me awake with Your holy spur.
Sharpen my heart where it has grown dull,
and provoke me to love that acts and gives and moves.

When I hesitate, remind me that the same Spirit who stirs me also strengthens me.

Spur me on, Lord — to love and good works. Thank you for washing me clean every morning and teaching me so tenderly with gusto. I am yours. Please keep the boot spur on my hind quarters, if necessary. In Jesus name, Amen.