A few days ago we were talking about Philippians 4:8, and we tried to encourage each other to only think about “good reports.”
If you’re anything like me, you had this question: “In a messed up world like ours is, and with so much happening so quickly, how can we only think about good reports? What if we really need to watch the news sometimes, to know what’s going on? A good example would be Biden’s and OSHA’s recent vaccine mandates. Or what about all the shortages in the world? I can’t bury my head in the sand! We need to prepare for what’s coming!”
A good report isn’t the only item on the list of things to think about. In fact, I skipped over the first five. Here’s the full list again:
“Whatever things are true…”
The word truth come from a Greek word meaning “not hidden; unconcealed; loving the truth” (Strong’s #227).
I love looking back at the Septuagint to see what Hebrew word is equivalent, and this one was pretty amazing.
The Hebrew word is אֱמוּנָה (Strong’s #530), and it means “truth; firmness; securely fixed in place.” You say it “emunah.”
It comes from a two-letter Hebrew word, אֵם (Strong’s #517), which is the word for glue or mother. Jeff Benner explains the word mother this way in his Ancient Hebrew Lexicon:
“Glue was made by placing the hides and other animal parts of slaughtered animals in a pot of boiling water. As the hide boiled, a thick sticky substance formed at the surface of the water. This substance was removed and used as a binding agent. Ancient Hebrew: The pictograph represents strength. The is water or any other liquid. Combined these pictographs mean ‘strong liquid׳… The mother of the family is the one who binds the family together by holding in her arms and by the work of her arms.”
Yes, we mothers hold the family together! Yay for women who hold firmly to truth, securely fixed in place, stubbornly working to teach it to the next generation, tirelessly praying for the salvation of their entire families. Be glue, moms!
Wrap your arms around your kiddos and your husband. Speak truth and love into the ears of your children as you give advice and wise counsel to your children. It’s a way of being a true and faithful witness in this world.
Being a securely fixed source of truth and love in the home is just the tip of the iceberg… but it seems like a good place yo start. I’ve got a lot more to say though. (Of course!) I’ll save some for tomorrow.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture in this blog post taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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