Jeremiah 31, 32; Titus 2

The Lord appeared to him from far away.

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (ESV)

 

The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you. (AMP)

 

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love! (MSG)

 

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (NLT)

 

From afar Yahweh he appeared to me and-love-of eon I-love-you onso I-draw-you kindness/with covenant loyalty. (Hebrew Interlinear)

Jeremiah 31:3

Ok, I am going to come clean…as you may already know, I am a total word ‘nerd’. I love delving into the meanings of words, the etymology of where those words originated. It is great that the average person is able to enter into the Word through various translations that fit better with more modern language, but I find that often, when I look at the original Hebrew or Greek words, the things that God is expressing explode off the page in a new way, helping me better understand His heart. So much has been lost in translation in the attempt to help the Word become more accessible.

Once again, in today’s reading, a verse that I am very familiar with was deepened by looking onto the Hebrew; it gave me better understanding of the depth of what God was sharing with Israel, and with me today.

The word that was highlighted for me today is the word “everlasting” which literally translated from the Hebrew is the word “eon”.

God loves me with eons…

He loves me for all ages, always and forever, continuously, eternally, forevermore, permanently, perpetually. He loves me indefinitely, during the lifetime of my existence, of the existence of the things of earth.

All of these meanings blow me away with the enormity, the vastness of His love for me. But as I looked deeper, the word eon also means vital force and life.

God’s love is my vital life force. His love is imperative to my life, critical and essential to my being. His love is something He freely gives, all the time, every moment of the day, regardless of my choices. He loves me when I am walking with Him, and He loves me when I have disconnected. And, He even loved me with His everlasting love when I was still a sinner, running from Him as fast as I could.

Yesappa, Thank You for loving me, so completely. Thank You for being my life force. Thank You for drawing me to You always. Help me love You more in return, holding on to the truth of Your covenant loyalty. Help me love others with Your love. Help me keep my love on like Your light in the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Blessings – Julie (writing from the U.S.A.)

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Leviticus 27; Psalms 34; Ecclesiastes 10; Titus 2

The words of the wise bring them praise, but the words of a fool will destroy them…A fool talks too much. Ecclesiastes 10:12; 14a (NCV)

Every now and then, especially in the midst of an argument, I have these moments where I realize that sometimes I talk too much. My husband says I should have been a lawyer instead of a missionary, because I always know how to argue my point like I am aiming to win in court.

The fact is I don’t always use my words in a life-giving way. I complain. I whine and moan. I vent my frustrations with the double edged sword of my tongue. I admit I even raise my voice from time to time, hoping that an increase in volume will increase my ability to be understood or at least heard.

After it is all said and done, I often regret the verbal vomit I spewed. I know I have made myself look the fool at times, before friends, family, and even complete strangers. And I wish I had just kept my big mouth shut.

It is an area of myself I am continually taking before God, a request for self-control and restraint. Over the past few years, as I have been getting more and more accustomed to being a new creation, I have realized that there are a few choices that I have to make each day that are vital in order for me to adopt a mouth of the wise:

1) I have to actively choose to think about how what I allow to come out of my mouth might affect myself and the people around me. Are the words bouncing around, yearning to escape encouraging, something that will build-up rather than tear-down? Do they offer life or usher in death?

Speak the truth so that you cannot be criticized. Then those who are against you will be ashamed because there is nothing bad to say about us. Titus 2:8 (NCV)

2) I have to actively choose to always speak the truth, in love. Things that need to be said can always be shared in more than one way. If I am honest, but offer those truths in a hard, unloving way, it opens the door for strife. But, if I am truthful in an authentic, loving way, it removes the enemy’s ability to cause discord with my words.

I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the Lord. Psalm 34:1-2a

3)      And most importantly, I have to actively choose to put my attention on God. When I focus on Him, my mind is renewed and my thoughts are bathed in His wisdom. And when my thoughts are aligned with Heaven, my words follow suit and I am able to interact from a place of love, grace, and mercy.

It is a journey, and I pray that one day I will notice I am much better at censoring my words, considering before I speak, and speaking through a lens of love, to myself and to others.

Help me Holy Ghost!

Blessings – Julie, Vadipatti, India (written in the U.S.A.)

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.