The Extra Word by Phil Summertime brings fond memories from my childhood. Long before cellphones and streaming television, we spent our summer days outdoors. The kids in the neighborhood would gather to ride bikes, play ball, build forts, and (if we had any left over fireworks,) blow things up. Ah, the carefree days of youth! My neighbor across the street was named Anthony. When it was time to come inside, his mom would stand in the doorway and call his name. We could tell a lot about what Anthony's immediate future held just by the words she used. For instance, if his mom called only his first name, that most likely meant it was time for dinner and he should wrap up whatever he was doing and head for home. If she added his middle name, that meant he should drop everything and get home immediately. Her patience was thin and should not be tested. However, if his mom yelled his first, middle, and last name, Anthony's rear end was about to get reddened. That single extra word took her message to a whole new level and the sense of impending doom was palpable. As I was reading the Bible this morning, I thought of how many times a single extra word took the message to a whole deeper level. Where calling an extra name expressed a mother's anger or frustration, the extra word in scripture often reflected the greatness and power of God. For instance, look at the middle of the last verse in Matthew - "and lo, I am with you..." That's nice. Jesus is telling us He'll be around if we need him. But look what happens when you add the next word: "and lo, I am with you always..." No matter where, no matter when, no matter what our situation, God is always there. Not only does that one extra word express God's tremendous love for us, it also shows He has the ultimate power to carry out that promise. Amen and Amen!!! Let's try a little experiment. Read each of the following verses aloud, leaving out the italicized word. Then read it again as written, giving that word a bit of extra emphasis.
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