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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"How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!" - Psalm 36:7

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"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

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"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5

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"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

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"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." - Ephesians 1:18-19

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"I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul," - Psalm 31:7

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"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

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"He (Abraham) was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous." - Romans 4:21-22

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"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:8

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"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

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I don’t know about you, but I’m fixing to do some shouting! God is so abundantly, immeasurably, incomparably worthy of all our praise! From here on, when you read the Bible, keep an eye out for those “extra” words that express even more of God’s great, unfailing, steadfast love for each of us.

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Have a Blessed week,
Phil and Pam

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