Chased by the Word

There is at least one person in every friend group who is a walking thesaurus. You know them. They use words like “devour” instead of “eat”; “jaunt” instead of “walk”; and “discombobulated” instead of “confused.” Obviously they are exasperating to play such games as Boggle or Scrabble with, and they probably still engage in that flash-in-the-pan game Wordle. Now, granted, there is evidence that it is biblical to love and appreciate words. One could even posit that, naturally, logophiles are drawn to God. The Bible literally uses the word “Word” to describe Jesus: “The Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory . . ., full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14).

God used words from the very beginning to create life. Repentant life continues to spark today through words. They are powerful, potent, and persuasive—and your thesaurus friend will probably most merrily inform you that the use of “powerful, potent, and persuasive” is termed alliteration. Life is not life without words. If we are not speaking them, we are hearing them; and if not hearing, then reading. Rarely do we give them credit for wielding the power they have. Jesus does, though, and so did Jay.

“Hi there, my name is Jay, and I’m here to pay my tithe” is not typically the kind of first sentence a pastor hears when greeting a visitor on a Sabbath morning. But then, maybe that is the thrill of being a pastor, because the Lord loves to jolt us through the people He sends into the foyer seeking. Jay, a trucker by trade, is no different than most of us. He is, however, an avid wordsmith and reader, and his favorite phone game is an online version of Scrabble. So maybe he is a little different in that he would definitely hit it off with the thesaurus-y friend you were thinking of earlier.

In an effort to use his letters in a profitable place on the digital Scrabble board one afternoon, Jay strategically spelled out the word “tithe” for a few points. Most people’s excitement would not go beyond ridding themselves of a few letters and gaining some precious points. For Jay, though, staring at that little screen with the word “tithe” emblazoned shifted his whole trajectory. “I should really start paying tithe. And if I’m going to pay tithe, I should probably go to church. But I haven’t been to church in at least four decades; where would I even go? I’ll call my friend and ask her.” His friend, not a churchgoer herself, promptly informed him that if he really had decided to go to church and pay tithe, he should attend a Seventh-day Adventist church, since Adventists obviously attend on the right day: Saturday. Well, this just made sense. Jay found his way to an Adventist church that Sabbath morning, paid tithe when the offering plate was passed, and never left.

Don’t give life to the lying words with which the enemy chases you.

Jumping in Headfirst

Hungry for Bible comprehension, community, and connection to the Creator (there’s that excessive alliteration again—I just can’t help myself), Jay eagerly jumped headlong into fellowship. Attending Bible studies, joining the local efforts to aid those struggling with homelessness, and actively participating in church services, he was a member before ever making any commitments or putting his name on the books. He just fit right in.

Then came the Sabbath when the pastor felt pressed to talk with Jay after the service about being baptized. As the service ended, the pastor could see Jay warmly greeting his church family as he made his way toward the fellowship hall. Making eye contact, Jay strolled over and started the conversation: “Hey, Pastor, I was playing Scrabble on my phone again, as one does, and I happened to have letters to play the word ‘baptism.’ I believe I would like to be baptized and join this fellowship of believers in committing my life to Jesus. Do you think we could make that happen?” The usually articulate pastor immediately found himself jaw-agape in disbelief.

Jay had further ideas too. He wanted to be baptized soon—the next month, if possible—in the river flowing through our sleepy little town. This would be no problem, he was assured, although the next month was December, and we do live in a Northern state. The only concern was whether ice would have to be broken in order to access the swimming hole that typically served as the baptismal point.

The day arrived, and after a beautiful Sabbath morning singing such hymns as “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” the church family bundled together in heavy coats and gathered at the river’s edge. Behaving as true Michiganders, Pastor and Jay stepped into the icy water, smiling through gritted teeth. After surrendering all, Jay shot out of the water, shivering but smiling, toward the warm towels and blankets held by dear ones welcoming him into new life. Jesus really can bring spring even in the dead of winter.

Two years later Jay still plays Scrabble and still chooses Jesus. The last verse of perhaps the most famous chapter in the Bible announces, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps. 23:6). The Hebrew word interpreted as “follow”’ is also used in a variety of other verses as “pursued,” “hunted,” even “chased after.” Of all people, David knew the feeling of being chased maliciously. Clearly a wordy guy himself, he was not stumbling over his words. In the Shepherd’s Psalm he chose not to focus on all the evil chasing him, but instead to acknowledge that the ferociously loving-kindness of God will relentlessly pursue us all the days of our lives.

So often the pull to stoop to the distractions of either anxiety or benumbed indifference (or both) in our lives is nearly suffocating. We use such words to describe ourselves as “dumb,” “hopeless,” “good-for-nothing,” and then we are surprised when we live up to them. Hebrews 4 says, “The word of God is alive and powerful” (verse 12, NLT).[*] Don’t give life to the lying words with which the enemy chases you. Turn to the life-giving words Jesus has pursued you with about who He is, how loved you are, and the power He has given you for change. We open our phones and assume Jesus cannot possibly care about chasing us into our little worlds. But He followed Jay into a Scrabble game, and Jay recognized the love in His pursuit and believed His Word. Will you?

[*] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.