Words That Truly Mean What They Say

"Today's Devotion" For October 14, 2005

Read: Matthew 24:29-35; I Peter 1:3-16

WORDS THAT TRULY MEAN WHAT THEY SAY

"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.'" (Mt.24:35)

How important are words? That's an interesting question, wouldn't you agree? In some ways the answer might seem self-evident, but I'm not certain it really is. There have been some who have argued that words only have the meaning the hearer or reader wishes to put on them. Traditionally, it's been held that words say what they mean and mean what they say - words have meaning and can be used to convey thoughts and intentions clearly and concisely to others. Can such communication be vague? Most certainly! Both in speech and writing many people have become expert at "double talk" and evasion. Regardless, words do have meaning.

Yet there's a perpetual struggle over the meaning of words strung together into documents. It seems, for instance, that the U. S. Constitution is always subject to different interpretations of meaning. As we have listened to debates concerning the choosing of U.S. Supreme Court justices over the past forty years the issue has often focused on whether a potential justice is a "strict constructionist" - one who believes the Constitution means what it says and says what it means and can be aptly applied to contemporary issues - or not. The news of the day has been filled with the continuing run-up to the Constitutional referendum in Iraq where Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish politicians are striving to find a way to word things so that all parties are comfortable with the meaning of the words in the document. On another front, this morning's local newspaper has an article about a new T-shirt that's popular on "the streets" carrying the words "No Snitching." The stories notes that the sentiment was popularized in a "gangsta" rap DVD and by, among others, an NBA professional basketball player. The understanding on the streets is "don't cooperate with police or you'll pay." The local District Attorney, about two generations removed from the "streets," put his own spin on the meaning of the words - "Don't try to make a deal for yourself by not telling on others or yourself when it comes to a crime." Huhhhh?!?!

If words don't mean what they say, then we're in a lot of trouble as a society. Certainly all of us are guilty of using words improperly or incorrectly from time to time. No doubt there are times when our choices of words don't always convey what we really meant to say and the results can be painful to ourselves and others. At the same time, we also know that words can be used to mislead, misinform, make false promises, and deliberately cause pain and suffering, hate and discontent, and can lead to the destruction of ourselves and others. Perhaps what we can all agree upon is that words are supposed to have specific meanings, but we human beings have a penchant for finding ways to mess up those meanings for our own ends and purposes.

Thank God that He doesn't do the same. When He speaks He not only says what He means, He means what He says. Jesus' words in Matthew 24 are fraught with hope and comfort for us in the midst of the pain, despair, suffering, death, and destruction that is faced by people all over the world every day. While nations, people, ideas, and the whole universe might be destroyed, Jesus assures us that His words of hope, forgiveness, grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness are eternal. They won't pass away. They won't disappear from the eyes and ears of people. His words assure us that, by faith in Him, we can be confident that we are His, forgiven, renewed, and restored to life with our Father in heaven for all eternity. In Him we have hope and peace even when the world around us is in turmoil and despair. Even if people try to twist His words, their meaning will always remain. Even if Satan himself "snitches" on us to the Father, in Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection we are declared innocent and righteous before God. Ultimately, God Word says what it means and means what it says. It's a sure and certain Word filled with hope and peace.

Prayer: Father, it's with great confidence that I read and hear Your Word because I know You don't speak "double-speak" and You always say what You mean and mean what You say. It's true that I don't always understand what You've said. The power of Sin in my life so often clouds and darkens my heart and mind so that even the clear meaning of Your Word escapes me and I put meaning to it with which I'm most comfortable. Your promise is always sure and certain. It doesn't change. Help me to believe Your Word and understand them by the power of Your Spirit so that I might live a life that is pleasing to You and a true witness of Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others. Help me to be a true witness of Your truth so that others, too, might have confidence in Jesus, in the midst of a world filled with sin and despair and all the confusion they bring. Hear my prayer, gracious Father, for the sake of Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright ©2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.