Overwhelming Grace

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Sometimes God's grace overwhelms me enough that there just aren't words to express my gratitude.


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An Uncertain Affinity (2 Cor. 4:7-11; Gen. 3:16)

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Today in my devotion time, I came across a word that led me to another word. Can I say that this is my usual, lifelong problem in reading dictionary entries . . . I have a hard time stopping.  It’s a real problem. ☺ The word connected to the word I was looking up about the tabernacle was skeuos . In the Greek, this word carries the meaning “of uncertain affinity; a vessel, implement, equipment or apparatus (literal or figurative [specifically a wife as contributing to the usefulness of the husband]):--goods, sail, stuff, vessel.” I got caught immediately in the first part: “uncertain affinity.”  Uncertain means “not able to be relied on; not known or definite.” Affinity means “a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.” Putting these two words together is something of an oxymoron, which in the Greek literally means “pointedly foolish” because of its seeming contradiction. How in the world can you have an affinity for something you don’t know? How...
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Rhetorical Considerations (Genesis 1-3; Jn. 1:1)

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The collecting of words is important , and nothing makes this more evident than God's own son, Jesus, described as the Word present from the beginning (Jn. 1:1). Moses’ collection of words, the inspired writing of Genesis, is a rich historical and inspirational religious record for the Children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years occurs after God delivers them from Egypt. They struggle with trusting and obeying God and constantly choosing sin over God. Genesis serves to help the Israelites (and other generations to follow) know their origins, understand their relationship to God, and emphasize the importance of keeping His commandments. Genesis 3:1-6 reveals that rhetoric has been employed in our world from its infancy, first used by an envious serpent in the Garden of Eden speaking to Eve about God’ restrictions upon her in a well-designed plot to separate humans from their Creator.  The serpent’s seemingly simple words and carefully crafted logic sow doubt in Eve a...
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Overflow

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During the course of my week, I found myself teaching one of Edgar Allan Poe’s stories, which usually involves delving into the dark condition of the human heart. As I led the discussion, a verse popped into my mind and I shared it with the class in light of the topic of the heart. In Luke 6:45, Jesus spoke to his disciples and said that the nature of the heart can be seen—either good or evil by what comes out of the mouth—its fruit. The version I memorized reads: “For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45b, NIV). This set me thinking. In the multitudes he encountered, Jesus found both resistance to and acceptance of the salvation he offered, and it was the condition of the receptors on the human heart that made all the difference. Those with good reception understood, but the warnings fell on the deaf ears of all those whose receptors were in a state of disrepair. Proverbs 4:23 offers advice for caring for our hearts and tells us to “guard” our hearts because ...
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