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Mercy

Birthed into His Mercy!

Pregnancy in a woman involves the intimate, meticulous development of a human life in her womb. The Hebrew word for womb is “rechem”. The verb, “rachem” (with the same root letters) means to love, to love deeply, to have mercy and to be compassionate. The connection in Hebrew between “womb” and “love” or “compassion” is literally visceral. A mother’s love for her baby, so natural, deep, tender and compassionate, beautifully exemplifies our Father’s love for us. He is compassionate and merciful toward his human creatures.

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Issumagijoujunnainermik!

Today’s word is not Hebrew or Greek, it’s Inuit! The word is issumagijoujunnainermik. When missionaries first shared the gospel with the Inuit tribes in Alaska, they couldn’t find any word in the Inuit language for forgiveness.  So, they took a number of Inuit words and joined them to form a new word — Issu-magi-jou-jun-nai-ner-mik — and it became the Inuit word for forgiveness. The individual words are “Not-being-able-to-think-about-it-anymore.”

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You’re Covered!

Have you ever heard how a pearl is formed? It is truly fascinating. A foreign object, often a grain of sand, somehow makes it’s way into the tightly sealed crack of an oyster. Instead of spitting out this irritating object, the oyster covers it with layer upon layer of a substance secreted from it’s own body. After months or even years, a beautiful pearl is formed. The longer the pearl stays in the oyster, the more valuable it becomes.

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The fields are white in the world!

Since we returned to our home in the Negev Desert in Israel, we’ve noticed that the usual “desert scene” we are so accustomed to, has completely blossomed with grass and flowers — what an amazing difference! It suddenly occured to me, as we were delighting in the beauty of it all, that the seed was already there! No one planted it. All the hills, now rolling endlessly with green — they are not owned by anyone. Miles and miles of grass and wild flowers suddenly shoot forth where there was nothing but brown before! It was just waiting for someone to water it! And God brought the rains.

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Run to the Mercy Seat!

Last night, my wife decided to stay up late to watch the opening night of the Messiah Conference by live stream Internet (a huge gathering of Messianic Jews and Israel loving Christians from all over the world, taking place annually in Harrisburg Pa). Low and behold, who’s voice came through the loudspeakers but Riv’s, as a dance troupe danced beautifully to her song “Kes Harachamim” (Mercy Seat). How cool!

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