Day 163 Words of Life!

 

6/12/2026

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God."

John 1:1

 

I woke up to The Chosen quietly playing in the background. It was one of my favorite scenes with Matthew and Gaius, the Roman Centurion who had been given the task to keep Matthew safe at the tax booth from angry people. Gaius has been watching Jesus heal and listening to him teach, so he is slowly being transformed, unable to unsee what he had witnessed with his own eyes and reconcile it with the life he had lived. One of the greatest transformations he had witnessed was that of Matthew. He was rich, employed and protected by Rome, but when Jesus passed by Matthew's tax booth and asked him to "Follow Me," without a second thought Matthew practically ran from the booth to become His disciple, leaving everything behind, including excuses as to his choices in life that separated him from his family and fellow Jews. Gaius was astonished, to say the least. He knew that Matthew had been feeling isolation from his family and probably sensed regrets, but Gaius had grown fond of him, and he realized how special and innocent Matthew truly was, but he had never seen this impulsive behavior.

In the scene Matthew encounters Gaius walking down the street, obviously troubled, but when Matthew asks how he is, he responds that he is fine. Matthew tells him he has many talents, but he is not an effective liar. Gaius seems a little surprised. Matthew asks about Gaius' family, and he snaps back at him, but then states that he's glad that Matthew has mended ways with his family. Then Gaius confesses that "home is complicated. I'm helpless." Matthew's responses really makes one think:

"You're right, Gaius. I don't know families well, and I complicate everything. But my Teacher, He makes everything very simple. Every day I wake up my ideas and fears are jumbled. I feel overwhelmed with doubts and regrets. So I just pause for a moment and remember. I have only one thing to do today, follow Him. The rest takes care of itself." 

I am always quoting scenes from this series, and often I think people get tired of hearing me, but although it may not be scriptural in total, and much has been added to the content that may or may not be so, it does me so much good to see what it may have been like when Jesus was on the earth ministering to others. I cannot help but speak of this work, of the love Dallas and Amanda Jenkins have poured into revisiting the stories, that are changing people's lives all over the world. 

The first song that came to mind when I started my day this morning was the old hymn, Wonderful Words of Life. The song begins with these words: "Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life; let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life; words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life." I remember my mama and gram singing this beautiful hymn, and like all the hymns I learned to sing as a child, I continue to sing to this day! Sometimes I forget a verse or two, but the memory returns when I begin to sing. The other two verses are as follows: 

"Christ, the blessed one, gives to all wonderful words of life; sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life; all so freely given, wooing us to heaven. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life."

"Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life; offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life; Jesus only Savior, sweetly echo the gospel call, Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever. Beautiful words, wonderful words of life."

In a world where there's much chaos and confusion, ridiculous accusations flowing from every portal, every persuasion, it is so easy to become overwhelmed. But when our focus is on serving our Master and Lord, the most important thing is to follow Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 puts it this way: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.