Simply Indescribable!

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!  2 Corinthians 10: 15

Have you ever read a Scripture passage or verse that you knew you have read before, but yet this time you saw something totally new? Reading God’s Word often seems to work that way. He continues to amaze and teach us no matter how many times we read it!

This verse was one of those times for me. The word “indescribable” caught my attention as it never has before, and the exclamation point did so even more! It’s not something we see very often in Scripture, and I had to look again to make sure I wasn’t mistaken.

Since I’m such a frequent user of adjectives and exclamation marks myself, I appreciated this simple, beautifully written statement of praise!  I’m sure you’ve noticed that I struggle with overuse of descriptive words and exclamation marks. I tend to be slightly dramatic at times and show my emotions when I write  –  which I usually think deserves that extra little mark!  Yet, the rules of grammar tell us that exclamation marks should be used very rarely – only when issuing a command, or showing strong emphasis, emotion, passion, or excitement. I know I overuse it. It’s definitely become a habit I need to work on.  (Oh, how I wanted to put an !)

Paul had no problems expressing his emotions either, and if we know anything about him and his writings, we know how passionate he could be about Christ and carrying  his message to the world. Perhaps the writers of the NIV version of the Bible wanted us to feel the emotion Paul was feeling as he wrote to the early believers of Corinth. With extra emphasis, they chose to use the word “indescribable!” To them, it must have been the perfect word translation for describing how Paul felt about our amazing God and the gift of His saving grace.

Interestingly,the KJV translates it this way: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” And in the ESV, we find: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

Whichever version we follow, we can have no doubt that Paul felt as if Jesus Christ and His saving grace were just too wonderful for words. He was at a loss to describe such a gift of love and sacrifice, but yet, His meaning came across clearly as He gave Him the praise and glory he felt the Son of God deserved.

But sadly, most gifts – no matter how magnificent they are or how lovingly they are given – often become “under appreciated” over time. We sometimes begin to lose sight of their value, forget the manner in which they were given, and take them much too much for granted. Hopefully, we could never forget or lose sight of God’s “indescribable” and most wonderful gift to us.

There is no better reminder of His great love for us than to read the Christmas story as found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke on this day. And as we do so, may we once again feel the awe and wonder of His birth. For no matter how many times we read it, we can’t help but marvel at the beauty, simplicity, and significance to the world of such a glorious event. May reading it open our hearts to Him in a way that we haven’t experienced before and make this the best Christmas ever!

Prayer

Dear God, how humbled we are by the “indescribable” gift of your love. We are in awe of your goodness and grace and the fullness of life we can find in you. May this season fill our hearts with joy as we share your love with others.  Amen