Kidneys: The Body's Filter

By Robert McCallum

March 1, 2011

Psalm 139:14-16
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

• How often do you think about your kidneys?
• Do you know where they are or what they do?

Most people think of kidney stones when they think about the kidneys. We will talk more about that later.

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of your fist. They are in the middle of your back, just below your rib cage, on either side of your spine. They weigh about 0.5 percent of your total body weight. Although the kidneys are small organs by weight and size, they receive 20 percent of the blood pumped by the heart.

Most people know that a major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and extra fluids from the body. These waste products and extra fluids are removed through the urine. The production of urine involves a very complicated process. This process is necessary to maintain the proper balance of different chemicals needed by the body.

Your kidneys receive the blood from what is called the renal artery. Once the kidney receives it, it filters out the waste and unwanted items. The filtering part is made up of several things. The first thing is water. It is also made up of sodium (salt), potassium, chloride, glucose (a type of sugar) and other small items.

The kidney filters approximately 45 gallons of blood per day! That means that the kidneys clean all the blood in the body 20 to 25 times per day. Once the blood has been cleaned it is return to the body through what is called the renal vein. The body now has clean blood to use as needed.

As stated above, the wastes and other unwanted items become urine. Urine goes from the kidneys to the bladder. In the bladder, the urine is stored until it is expelled from the body. All this filtration makes approximately two quarts of urine as the waste product.

When the kidneys don't work like they should, there are many difficulties that take place in the body. Waste in the blood which are supposed to be removed, is not and the body becomes ill.

God has designed this whole process to keep the body on track. Some of the things that the kidneys regulate are:

• Remove waste products from the body
• Remove drugs form the body
• Balance the body's fluids
• Release hormones that regulate blood pressure
• Produce an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
• Control the production of red blood cells
• Maintain your body's calcium levels
• Regulate the composition of your blood

Earlier we mentioned kidney stones. Just what is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone is a hard mass that builds up from crystals and separates from the urine within the urinary tract. Normally, urine contains chemicals that stop the crystals from forming. These do not always work for all people. If the crystals remain tiny enough, they will travel through the urinary tract and pass out of the body in the urine without being noticed.

What causes kidney stones?

Doctors do not always know what causes a stone to form. While some foods may help stones form in certain people-those same foods may not cause stones to form in other people. A person with a family history of kidney stones may be more likely to develop stones.

Not drinking enough water can allow kidney stones to form. When you don't drink enough water, the salts, minerals, and other items in the urine can stick together and make a stone. This is the most common cause of kidney stones.

Just as God created a part of our body so complex and important in our earthly body, He is concerned that our spiritual "body" functions just as well. We need to take steps to filter out spiritual dirt and debris. For this, God has given us His Word. We are told in Psalm 119:9:

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy Word."

It is God's word and His alone that leads us to all truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 says, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

In this verse we are instructed to study God's Word. That means we take time to look at it, read it and understand it. By knowing God's Word and listening to what He says in His Book, we can filter out sin and wrong teachings of men.

 

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