Pen or Pencil?

Do you like to work crossword puzzles? One of the widows of our congregation whom I visit on a regular basis is usually working one when I drop by to visit. She finds crossword puzzles to be a nice way to pass the time. Crossword puzzles are also a good focus for her mind. Two things that seem well associated with crossword puzzles is a sharp pencil and a sharp mind. Perhaps a third thing would be a good eraser.

When I work crossword puzzles I don’t approach them with enough confidence to use a pen. I know I will mark down letters and words that will need to be changed in order for everything to fit. Someone who does crossword puzzles with a pen has much more confidence in themselves that do I.

I generally carry both an ink pen and a led pen (mechanical pencil) in my shirt pocket. Sometimes I want to lightly mark things in a way that I know I can erase or change them (such as bowings or other rehearsal notations in orchestra music that has been borrowed) while at other times I want to mark something down in a way that is more permanent. There are times I will even use a PERMANENT MARKER so that weather, laundering, or time will not quickly remove what has been written.

Continuing from the passage we noted yesterday, Paul stated…
“(2) You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. (3) And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written NOT WITH INK BUT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD, NOT ON TABLETS OF STONE BUT ON TABLETS OF HUMAN HEARTS.” ( 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 ESV)

In relation to what we noted yesterday, Paul did not need a degree on his wall or a glowing reference letter in his back pocket. The changed lives of the Corinthians (though still in the transformation process) were themselves a testimony to the work of God through Paul. However it was not like a penciled notation. Nor was it something even written with ink or chiseled into cold stone. Rather than the focus on the exterior, the work had begun from the inside out as the message of Christ became written on softened hearts receptive and responsive to the Word. External views may coerce us to do certain things and not do others without the heart being involved at all. It is the internal working of God’s Truth that brings lasting transformation to life. The Spirit of Truth can place a more PERMANENT MARK on our lives to give us more confidence for life than the estimation of others.

That which one feels more confident about may be written with a pen rather than a pencil. However, that which bears the mark of God’s Eternal Spirit can be viewed with even greater confidence. Are we allowing the PERMANENT MARK of a long lasting transformation to be upon our heart? May we continue to allow the living Word of God to bring a mark of confidence to our life.

Have a great day LIVING WITH THE TRUTH’S IMPRINT CLEARLY MARKED!
Carl

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