My Words Gone, Not His

Yahoo! is shutting down GeoCities. I dislike that. In 1997, GeoCities hosted my first website – a copy of the genealogy workbook I was creating. I found several excellent sources, filled in pedigree and family sheets in a well-designed program then posted photos from more than a century before to share with family members.

I had to move away this year as Yahoo! support failed, as it has on several of their platforms. Fortunately, I had discovered Blogger a while back and my genealogy is being migrated over, a little at a time with a change in format and additional information. But, I shall miss those days of coding and designing a website to share our family secrets.

This loss is an example of how quickly a person’s thoughts waft away into nothingness. Isn’t it awesome, then, that God has preserved His word for our use today? Moses, writing the history of his people, David writing his songs to God, Solomon leaving us Proverbs, the prophets – all those beautiful prophecies that have been fulfilled, and the ones yet to come. The gospels, the works of His son, the letters to the churches, the revelation of John at Patmos – what a great wealth has been preserved generation upon generation, for thousands of years.

The Dead Sea Scrolls gave us comparisons across two thousand years to show an example of that preservation. Those of faith enjoy the confirmation, but it isn’t necessary. He told us the way it would be:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35 KJV)

That’s important, so it was repeated:

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Mark 13:31 KJV)

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (Luke 21:33 KJV)

So very important that the last book, last chapter, contains:

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)

Why preserve His word? The answer includes the answer given by Christ to Satan:

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4 KJV)

Indeed, that was written, and preserved:

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. (Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV)

Just as He is truth, this is truth: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (Psalms 100:5 KJV)

So, many of my words are gone. But not His.