May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Jeremiah 15:19-20
Therefore this is what the Lord says:
As I live in this world and see more and more disregard for
God, my heart breaks.
In my daughter, Sara's, first grade class, she spends a lot
of time teaching her students how to read. The children learn the sounds the
letters make and how they form words. If you know anything about the English language, you know there are many words that don’t follow the rules. Sara
teaches those words as heart words, in other words they must be learned by heart.
I've been reading the book of Jeremiah. Much of what I've
read shows God's anger toward Jerusalem and Judah. The people have turned from Him
and are worshipping idols and turning their backs on God. Jeremiah begs God not
to destroy the people of Israel, but to give them another chance.
In chapter 15, Jeremiah asks God to spare him. He is a
prophet who is trying to turn the people around and help them get back to
loving and worshipping God. In his distress and longing to be rescued, God
tells him if he repents, He will restore him. The next part caught my
attention. When God said, "if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you
will be my spokesman."
That verse hit me over the head. God gave me an amazing
means to communicate. He not only created humans, but he gave us language so we
can share our ideas, thoughts, and wisdom.
Words can be beautiful, helpful, uplifting, and filled with
compassion. They can also be mean, detrimental, and hurtful.
God called Jeremiah to speak words worthy of God. As a
follower and believer in the One who created life, I want to choose words that
encourage and praise, words that instruct and uplift, and words that draw
people to God.
As I think of the little ones learning new words, I'm
reminded to speak to a child in a way that encourages and instructs, not with
harshness and hurt.
Speak in a way other people know you love God.
John 19:16-18
Finally, Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers
took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the
place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There
they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the
middle.
I have bionic knees.
In 2014 and 2018, I had total knee replacement surgery,
first my right and then my left. The cartilage had worn down to nothing and the
bones beat against each other as I walked. As a matter of fact, the surgeon
told Tim several fractures had developed in my bones. I'm beyond thankful that
after several weeks of therapy, I walked again and felt pretty good. One thing
I have to remind myself of the surgery is my scars. About 6-6 ½ inches, they
run vertically along my knees. I used to hide them under long pants or capris,
but this summer, because I don't tolerate heat well, I bought some knee-length
shorts that reveal those lovely scars.
People often hide the physical scars of life. I didn't want
to be reminded of my imperfections, even though I'm thankful for the new lease
on life the surgeries gave me. I don't know if it's my age or my attitude, but I'm
okay with people seeing the imperfect in me now.
Because of the scars Jesus bore, I've been made whole
through Him. When I meet Him in heaven, I'll have no more scars. In the
meantime, I want to use the physical and emotional scars I carry to help
others. It's difficult to escape scars living on this earth. Whether I've
suffered physical or emotional injuries, instead of wallowing in them, I can
use those to help other people. The apostle Paul suffered through prison, Jesus'
mother lived with the truth that her son would die for all of us, of course,
Jesus bore the scars of the cross.
Whatever scars you carry, find a way to use your wounds to help
others.