Monday, April 7, 2014

THE POWER OF ONE WORD


Do you have a guess?

It's not what you might think.  Today I'm going to talk about the mighty *yet*...

No, "The Mighty Yet" is not the nickname for the Abominable Snowman, Yeti – that big hairy beast that lives in the Himalayas.

The mighty *yet* is something else entirely…

I am going to talk about a verse that leaped off the page for me just the other day.  (I love when that happens, don't you?!)


A little backstory first.

My mom has decided to put this phrase on my father's headstone:

"Great Is God's Faithfulness"

We all agreed that it would be a wonderful testimony to what we believe.

Yes, God has always been so faithful to our family, and never more so than in the last few days of my father's life.  How we were guided, and comforted, by a God who never lets go.

So, of course, we wanted to also put the Bible reference.  Most of you probably know that this verse is found in the book of Lamentations.

Though no one knows for sure who wrote the book, traditional thought has it penned by the prophet, Jeremiah.  Good ol' Jeremiah, also know as "The Weeping Prophet."

And indeed, the book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem.  I thought it might be interesting to look up the definition of lament:

Lament – a passionate expression of grief or sorrow, deep and mournful regret

To me, the word lament means something much deeper, much stronger than mere sadness.  To me it is soul-deep, heart-ravaging sadness.  The kind that is almost a physical presence.

As I thought about this verse, I became more and more intrigued about its placement in the middle of a book about destruction.

I thought more about it when my mom asked me to read it out loud to her.  I told her that I wanted to put it into context, so I read the verses in Lamentations 3 that preceded it (all of these verses are from the New Living Translation).

Lo and behold, that's when it leaped out…

The wonder of a simple word: YET

Here's the words right before verse 21:

"I cry out, 'My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!'
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss."

It would be a good exercise to read the entire first part of chapter 3.  It's a gut-wrenching litany of deep pain, deep sorrow, deep despair.

It's gritty, it's real.

And then, like a beam of light shining brightly in the middle of a dark, dark night, verse 21 arises:

"YET I still dare to hope…"


One simple word, one seemingly innocuous word – YETbut a word that is so much more.

It is a battle cry of faith.  A shout of victory to all the junk that life would bring our way.  A retaliation against the enemy's tactics to beat us down.

A holy *NO* to the temptation to give in and give up.

Yes, *YET* sends the crazy, bold message that IN SPITE of everything to the contrary, DESPITE evidence of hopelessness, INSTEAD of giving in to despair…

I am going to do something wild and unpredictablesomething beyond my natural tendenciesI am still going to DARE to hope.

I looked up the word dare:

Dare to have enough courage or confidence to do something

Yeah, that's what this verse is saying.  Not just that I'm going to hope, but I'm going to still dare to hope.  I'm going to go out on a limb and take a leap of faith, I'm going to risk it all on a moment of trust…

*YET* is a victor's cry!


But is this phrase some naïve, misinformed, foolish rebel's yell?  Does it have any basis for its daring message?

Yup, sure does.

And that's found in the second half of verse 21:

"…when I remember this."

What is "this"?

Verses 22 and 23:

"The faithful love of the LORD never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

Yeah, that's the foundation for this ridiculously brave statement.

Not the crummy, scary, overwhelming circumstances.  Not the barren landscape of a winter season of the soul.  Not the blight of daily living in a sin-fallen world.

No.

It's not even a matter of MY faithfulness.

The rock-solid foundation is the faith-full-ness of our eternally faithful LORD!  The One who was, who is, and is to come.  The great and glorious and almighty I AM.

It is HIS faithfulness, HIS love, and HIS mercy that gives us the righteous audacity to hope…


I'm paraphrasing these verses like this:

"The thought of my suffering
and sense of loneliness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
this wilderness season
through which I am passing,
as I grieve over the things I've lost –
my health, my loved ones, my peace of mind.

(But, take this, oh enemy of mine!!)

YET I still dare to hope
(beyond evidence to the contrary).
No, I will not give in or give up.
Why?
Because I remember this,
(and it is more than enough):

The Lord is faithful,
and His love never ends.
His merciful ways
and His gracious treatment of me
never ceases.

His faithfulness is GREAT, just as He is!
Every morning
I get a new chance to love Him,
to follow Him, to obey Him,
to be washed in the mercy
of His redeeming forgiveness,
and freed from the penalty
of my sins.

Life might strive to ruin me,
YET I will hang on to hope
in my faith-full God!"


Yeah, it's a war cry.

And today, though downtrodden and weak and fearful and tired…

I'm feeling like a warrior.

Today, I will still dare to hold on to hope…

For faith is found in the word – YET

(I'm raising my fist high as I shout it!!)

Will you join me?





You will be secure, because there is hope.
You will look about you and take your rest in safety.
You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid.






"I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
    the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
    and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
    his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He's all I've got left.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
    to the woman who diligently seeks."

(From Lamentations 3, MSG)


"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
    and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
    and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
    and the cattle barns are empty,
YET I will rejoice in the Lord!
    I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!"

(Habakkuk 3:17-18, NLT)



Fill in the blank with your tough struggle, your suffering, your despair, your loss (your "whatever-it-is" that brings you down)…and then claim the victory!

Though I _________, YET I will still dare to hope.



(Loved this definition of FAITH:  "The leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness..." 2 Timothy 1:5

From The Amplified Bible, latest copyright, 1987)


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Laura at PLAYDATES WITH GOD
Hazel at TELL ME A TRUE STORY
Jen at SOLI DEO GLORIA
Jen at UNITE
Kasey at WALKING REDEEMED
Rachel at WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAY
Rosilind at A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS
Judith at WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY
Beth at THREE WORD WEDNESDAY
Jenifer at WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Lyli at THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY
Bonnie at FAITH BARISTA JAM
Crystal at THRIVING THURSDAY
Julie at FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY
Laura at FAITH FILLED FRIDAY
Mel at ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS
Wanda at THE FRIDAY FIVE
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
Sandy at STILL SATURDAY
Barbie at WEEKEND BREW
Janis at SUNDAY STILLNESS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

37 comments:

  1. Joining along with you, Sharon. I used to read that section of Lamentations daily for abit; it gave me hope in those words and I loved the "yet". I think that is a wonderful phrase too to put on your dad's headstone that your mom wants to put on. A great testimony indeed!

    betty

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  2. You know I have probably read this years ago, but I am going to read it again today. The word yet give me so much needed hope!

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  3. Thanks Sharon ... I needed this HOPE! Bless you for your thought provoking message once again and kind words to me. (I linked my SONday's post to here)!
    I love the power of this little word ... and YET, I know that you seek so much more from this power by the beautiful way you conveyed this and tied it all together! Thank you so much --- and thanking God for His faithfulness! In deed, He (and it) is so unbelievably GREAT! as is your way of penning your heart! Beautiful choice your mom and you have chosen and so filled with meaning over and beyond a wonderful testimony to treasure!

    Love and many blessings,
    Peggy

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  4. Oh what a wonderful testimony to God's word! I could fill in that blank with so MANY words and situations. Thank you so much for bringing light to this small word...YET!
    Bless you, Sharon!

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  5. This post is wonderful and so inspiring. Well written and so informative. I learned something new today that I will never forget. Thank you...((Hugs))

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  6. Great post Sharon. I will read Lamentations, sometime soon. Yet is a good word, for me too. God Bless

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  7. Hi Sharon! A holy 'yet.' What a wonderful concept. And it has lifted you up, which is so great. When I find myself in the dumps, I do struggle to push out a 'yet' in prayer. Because then I can't stay stuck in the mud. Yet means I am ready to turn to faith.
    With my whole personality!
    Happy Monday my friend :)
    Ceil

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  8. Love it!!!! Yet. The stance to trust. To hope. To wait. Yet.....thanks Sharon. This will definitely stay in my head. Have an amazing week.

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  9. His faithfulness is indeed great. Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad I linked up next to you at Soli Deo Gloria.

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  10. Awesome lesson and inspiring message! You go, girl! That'll preach, sister.

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  11. What a great "little" word. It speaks volumes in this context, doesn't it? What a blessing that God's faithfulness is so great. I am trusting in Him!

    Blessings, Joan

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  12. Beautifully said, and a great reminder!

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  13. YET - as powerful as the BUT that precedes GOD in many a scripture reference. A beautiful choice for your dad's headstone. A gift from the Lord to impress the depth of meaning into your heart as you made the decision to use that verse. God keeps you through the grief - and you know joy in the mourning.
    Blessings,
    Kathy

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  14. It is amazing how one tiny glimmer of hope can push power into our weakness and give us what we need. Yet! Yes! Great post!

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  15. Shouting AMEN so loudly that I'm pretty sure you will hear it in California. This is excellent, just excellent.

    I had a similar (YET not quite as wonderful) reaction to the word "nevertheless" in the book of Psalms about a year and a half ago. We were in the middle of a storm (the job...) and were reading aloud. We got to a "nevertheless", and it said volumes.

    I would say that you have no idea how God used your words, but I think this time that you do.

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  16. Yet God is faithful. Loved your post! Thank you for sharing your awesome post with us here at 'Tell Me a Story."

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  17. Beautiful post. I remember the lament I felt when a loved one passed away to soon a few years ago. Yet through it I became closer to the Lord. Thanks for sharing these words of wisdom.

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  18. WOW! I love this!!!! YET! Beautiful!! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  19. I needed this today. I picked the perfect time to visit you.

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  20. A clarion call to hold on to hope! Through all my struggles over these many years, God has never left me alone. I believe in his "yet" ... it sustains me and carries me through the night into the morning light.

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  21. I love words. You have certainly confirmed with this post just how powerful. I love the word Yet as a cry of hope and victory.

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  22. Well, you grabbed and made me smile. I am "Jeremiah" also... I blogged that some time ago... b/c his sorrowfulness and frustration re: the world and the way people are turning to the Lord, and then turning away. I'm looking forward to meeting Jeremiah in heaven. Your other Words and sharing situations were well organized. Thank you.i

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  23. I love this post, love that little word "yet". I have been working on something for a retreat I am speaking at and this fits in exactly with what I am speaking on, courage. Yet...

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  24. Wow, that's so good! I just never remember reading it like this before!

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  25. Yes, YET, I will rejoice!! Thanks so much, Sharon.

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  26. There it is... you said it all. The YET covers everything, and I've stood on that ground so many times. God is in the YET, every single time.

    Your words always hit a chord with me Sharon... how many times have I said that?? :)

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  27. I'm stopping by from Thriving Thursdays since you're one of my neighbors. :) I'm so glad I did. What you have written is a powerful reminder that our God is alive and well. We can cling to hope in the worst of circumstances simply because He IS. I'll be sharing this one around!

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  28. When we are waiting on God....we can't see the actions of God YET. Yes, yes, yes. Yet is a big word of faith. Thank you for sharing. Be forever blessed!

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  29. Literally overwhelmed by this today, Sharon. I needed this Word so badly! Tears have washed my eyes today by the reading of the Word here and I still dare to HOPE! Bless you my dear friend. ♥

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  30. Oh my goodness, Sharon! I love this. I've got goosebumps I loved it so much. I love words like that. Makes me think of he two words, But God. Like those two words, Yet is followed by good news. Hope... with Him there is always hope. Fabulous my friend. Sorry it took me so long to get by. Blessings to you.

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  31. Sharon, I really love this post since I've had a tough year or so. I just linked it on Facebook. T hanks for writing.

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  32. yes, that one word, "yet"
    the world turns there

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  33. "...the righteous audacity to hope…" I love this, Sharon. Your entire post is filled with encouragement and inspiration. So thankful that He spoke these words to your heart, so thankful you shared them. Have a blessed week!

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  34. Sharon, you are a gem. Thanks for sharing this. I am so encouraged. :)

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  35. Wonderfully said! This is powerfull stuff! Thanks for sharing. Stopping by from Three Word Wednesday.

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  36. Yes - this post blessed me this month and was well worth the "encore performance" at All Things Bright and Beautiful." Holding fast on my end to that "yet" - the gear that keeps our hope turning, moving us forward - ever forward - in our faith.
    Joy!
    Kathy

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

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