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He sed, She sed...
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He sed, She sed... by Phil Have you ever heard the saying, "Do as I say, not as I do?" Sometimes our lives can be a great example for others of what NOT to do. The Pharisees in Jesus’ time are a great place to learn how NOT to please God. I thought it would be an interesting contrast to look at a scripture that shows us the right way to please God. The verse I settled on was Micah 6:6-8 which is basically a Q&A on the subject - "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." As I was studying that passage, I came across something interesting. Some translations say "love mercy," while others say to "love kindness," and still others say we should "love faithfulness." To determine the reason for this discrepancy, I dug into the original language and found the Hebrew word here is hesed. That word occurs some 250 times in the Old Testament and is translated mercy, compassion, love, grace, and faithfulness - but none of these completely capture the concept. According to Google's AI overview… "Hesed is a rich Hebrew term from the Old Testament embodying God’s unwavering, loyal covenant love, mercy, and kindness. It transcends mere emotion, representing active, steadfast devotion and generous, underserved favor. It is central to God's character as "abundant in steadfast love." Hesed is not passive; it is "love in action." God sees us to the core and is not impressed when we try to make ourselves look better than we really are. Instead, He is pleased when we do what is right, actively love Him and others, and have a humble and teachable spirit. For a deeper dive on this subject, I challenge you to do a Google search for other verses containing the word “Hesed” in the original language. Take some time to find this truth of God's character woven throughout His word. And pay attention, there will be a test. Not from me, but from God! Click Here to Check our Concert Schedule! Check us out on Facebook! - http://www.facebook.com/PhilandPamMorgan |
Phil & Pam Morgan
We're authors and musicians who loves to talk about faith & spirituality, arts & crafts, and music. Subscribe and join over 2,000+ newsletter readers every week!
Hi there friends and eNeighbors! Sorry this is coming out a bit late, but what a month we’ve had! Some of you have probably been keeping up with my (Phil's) exploits on Facebook, but for the rest: fasten your seatbelts, this is quite a ride! On August 31, I finally got the go-ahead for cataract surgery in my left eye. (The right was done 13 years ago, but this one was slower to cloud up.) The surgery was performed on Tuesday, September 15, and everything seemed fine... until the next day!...
Musicians...Building??? by Phil Here's a little 5th Tuesday bonus for you... In the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, after the wall was rebuilt, the people returned to Jerusalem and had a big dedication service. As I was reading through the account in chapter 12, something jumped out at me that most people overlook. It's probably because of my life experience, but this seemed almost miraculous to me... "The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages...
Come to the Table - Part 2 by Phil Last time we looked at a dramatic interpretation of the Lord's Supper we shared recently at our church. You may remember that the reading ended, "Together, their voices rose softly in a traditional Passover hymn, filling the small room with warmth and strength. As their song drifted on the night air, Jesus looked around the room at his companions. No longer just followers, now friends. As he studied each face, his lips curved into a smile of enduring love."...