Intro to Series: Sayings Old and New
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Eternal
Today we begin a new series where we will cover and maybe learn old and new sayings that have meaning in various parts of the North American culture.
Having said that, I love it that we frequently have visitors from every part of our world! I pay particular attention daily and I keep track of where visitors are from as they ‘log in”. Probably because I’m a tad bit older that some of you, I am fascinated that is even possible. I was in my forties/fifties by the time the internet was readily available.
My grandchildren seem to take it all in stride.
So, why study old and new sayings? As a child of the 50’s I was raised on old sayings. I’ve noticed as decades come and decades go new words emerge. I also make a point of learning new words and sayings from my grandchildren.
I’ve witnessed the fact that not only do words stay the same, they change, and sayings change.
In the same way, while God doesn’t change, God always changes. How can that be? It’s because God is eternal, past present and future.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Jesus is the same but ever changing. I count on that.
Words are also the same but ever changing.
I am fascinated by word changes and usage. My Mom has a ‘million’ different sayings that she would use all the time to make a point. Well…maybe not actually a million, but when I was a kid it seemed like it.
I think when I was a kid I didn’t see the big picture so much with God or with words.
I didn’t think about it but my parents, Sunday School teachers, and pastors were giving me building blocks with God that I would build my character on.
They also gave me sayings so I would remember important principles.
Those sayings became part of me. They were repeated to my children. Now, they are repeated to my grandchildren.
The funny thing about those old sayings is that after a while I came to treasure them. When I was young I thought they were funny. When I was a teenager, I rolled my eyes when I heard them. As a young mother, even without thinking about it, I spewed them out to my children.
When my children were young they thought they were funny.
As teenagers they rolled their eyes when they heard them.
As young parents they found themselves saying them to their children…
And so it goes on and on.
They became part of us. They are part of our culture.
They are our heritage, and our treasure.
My family shares our story through our words.
We have a long saying that I learned as a child. Mother learned it as a child. Whenever we feel overwhelmed and we aren’t sure how to move ahead, we speak these words. “Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, but he with a chuckle replied that “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grinon his face and if he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing that couldn’t be done, and he did it!”
I discovered that the saying is from a poem by Edgar A. Guest and it appeared in print in 1934. My Mother would have been six years old when it was first printed.
Where I grew up I heard it often and the words meant we do not give up.
The point is, words have power over our mind. When we speak words of gloom and despair, we hear gloom and despair. When we speak words filled with determination there’s a good chance we embrace determination.
The same is true of scripture.
Hebrews 13:8 contains powerful words…
Jesus is the same yesterday.
Jesus is the same today.
Jesus is the same forever.
Whatever we face can be tackled today, tomorrow, and forever by turning to Jesus.
It means something to me that Jesus knows yesterday, Jesus knows today, and Jesus knows forever.
There is nothing about me (and you) that Jesus doesn’t know, past, present, AND future.
I can’t say I understand that completely, but by faith I believe it.
I rely on it. I’ve found that knowing that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever gives me great peace.
And so, today’s Spiritual Practice is: Peace
KNOW that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Embrace the peace you have from knowing that.
In God, Deborah
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