The Word

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.....and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...." John 1:1, 14

I know, I know--it's not Christmas. This verse is the stuff that some of the most beautiful Christmas cards are made of. I've just been thinking a lot about the Word lately--no, not the word--the Word.

I won't mention how many years it's been since I took New Testament Greek in college and to say I'm a bit "rusty" would be quite an understatement. In fact, I'm sure I've forgotten ninety percent of what I learned back then, I'm ashamed to admit. There are, however, a couple of Greek words that have always stuck with me. One of those is LOGOS or the Word. The English dictionary says of the term logos, "The creative word of God which is itself God and incarnate in Jesus. Also called Word."

If you're like me in your journey of faith, there are seasons that you "re-discover" the wonder of it all. I suppose I'm in one of those seasons. As my youngest will soon leave for college, I have been much more introspective lately. When I am introspective and looking at my life and life in general, my faith always plays a leading role. I find more and more that the Word, or Jesus Christ, is my anchor and my plumb line. As the scripture says, he is my "Rock". Without him, nothing else really makes much sense.

I am forever in awe of the language the Apostle John used when describing Jesus' entrance into our existence..."and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." In layman's terms I guess you could say that Jesus "put skin on and jumped down in this hole with us." Now don't go off on my use of the term "hole". I'm not referring to specifics in our lives but rather to the human condition in general. Let's face it, the scripture says that without Christ we were and are utterly lost and without hope. When the Word entered the picture--everything changed. If we surrender ourselves and our lives to Him we find the hope that our souls long for. With Christ we have a way out and a way up!

St. Augustine said, "Thou has made us for Thyself, Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."

Logos. The Word. Think about it.

A New Song

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:3

In this particular Psalm, David begins by giving us a brief overview of a recent trial in his life. He speaks of several things including: patience, crying, a slimy pit, mud and mire. His description then moves on to a picture of the Lord setting his feet on a rock and a firm place to stand.

Toss all of the above into a mixing bowl and "voila"! Out pops a new song--right! Not so fast. Don't forget who the cook is. God alone gives us the patience to wait as He is working. His gentle voice is whispering the melody in our ears. He knows when the slimy pit, mud and mire part is finished. He hums the harmony at that point. It is His hand that sets our feet on the rock and gives us a firm place to stand in His perfect timing. Then we have it--the new song!

Interesting thing about new songs; we usually end up teaching them to those around us while we are learning the words ourselves! Whether you are initially interested or not, you usually can't help picking up the tune if the person next to you sings it often enough.

The Psalmist says of our new song, "Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord". Why? Because of us! When we sing our song others will want what we have.

Learning any new songs?