This week I have been thinking about the power of words. Actually, even the power of few words. I’ve been blogging about Proverbs – those powerful little dynamos of biblical wisdom. I’ve been preparing to preach at two carol services where message length has to be kept tighter. I’ve also been thinking too about the death of a man whose life was known for the absence of small talk, Christopher Hitchens. I’ve blogged about his death and a strong lesson that I feel we need to learn as Christians, and especially as preachers, over on the Cor Deo site – please click here to go there.
So on one extreme there are those that seek to wax eloquent to show their own so-called wisdom. At the other extreme we have Biblical wisdom, such as that in Proverbs. Then in the middle are preachers trying to share a word in season, especially in this season when so many make their annual pilgrimage to a place of worship. And in the midst of it all, I can’t help but wonder at the Word of God who became flesh and pitched his tent among us. Even before he learned to speak words on Mary and Joseph’s laps, he was the Word incarnate – so small, so tiny, yet the most powerful message the world has ever known.
Allow me to repeat the words of Richard Sibbes that I shared here a few weeks ago:
“We cannot too often meditate of these things. It is the life and soul of a Christian. It is the marrow of the gospel. It is the wonder of wonders. We need not wonder at anything after this.” (Sibbes, Works 5:485)
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Next Week –
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Excellent thoughts! Have always loved Proverbs, but your concluding comments & quote are so good. Thanks Peter!