The Gift From "The Gift Of The Hoya"

Luke 6:38 – Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (KJV)

The modern versions convey much the same as today's text, except to change "shall men give into your bosom" to "will be poured into your lap", and to say, "whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt to you in return".

About six days after my devotional, "The Gift of the Hoya", appeared on June 19th, I received a unique and most treasured gift. Someone sent me my entire devotional with the scripture and each paragraph neatly and individually translated into what I later found out was Indonesian.

To see one's words translated into a language so that others, too, may share in what we may sometimes forget isn't readily read by everyone, is something beyond my being able to express. Though my pronunciation is probably improper, it reads beautifully and serves as a reminder of how the love of God and the gift of His word is a common denominator as we see and share in His beauty.

Earlier on, several other readers had shared stories of their interactions or memories of having had a Hoya plant, and so, while we don't expect anything in return, what we share with others comes back in some of the most plentiful and unexpected ways.

This too serves as an illustration of my preference for the King James Version. It all has to do with translation and what we each individually feel best "speaks" to us. To me, "shall men give into your bosom" means to give back something that will touch my heart. The gift of the translated "Gift of the Hoya" did exactly that.

Prayer: O Lord, we give thanks for the many translations and translators of Your word. It is to You we give our thanks. Amen.

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