I have a trivia question for you.  What is an ellipsis?

 
Cue the Jeopardy music…

 
Here’s a hint…
 

You’ve seen them before…
 

Many times in fact…
 

Already in this blog…
 

Yes, the three dots at the end of a statement are called an ellipsis.  Now for the next question… (couldn’t resist).  What does the … mean?

 
Many people think that it means that the sentence is incomplete, words missing, or more to say.  This is true, but I was surprised to find out that there is a little more to it.  What I discovered is that the dots not only mean that the thought has not been completed, but it also leaves the suggestion that the reader can supply the missing words themselves.  This added element is rather interesting to me.  To say that I am not done speaking, or that I will continue my thought later is one thing.  To allow somebody else to finish my thoughts for me is quite another.

 
We’ve all experienced situations where other people do that to us.  We often describe this by saying somebody is putting words in our mouth.  Nobody likes this.  We don’t want others to allege we’ve said something when we haven’t.  We do our best to communicate clearly so as to not confuse others or leave the slightest hint of ambiguity.  When you clarify your message, you reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation or misrepresentation.  This also means the opposite is true – to allow others to speak on your behalf increases the likelihood that your words will be misunderstood and have the worst possible construction placed upon it.

 
So if we can so readily see how letting others speak for us is a problem, look at how God might view this.  His word is given to us daily.  God has given us the gift of the Holy Scriptures to serve as His written word for the benefit of all mankind.  We learn who God is, what He has done for us, and how we should respond to Him in the pages of the Bible.  God also speaks over our lives, giving us guidance and protection as we travel the path toward our destiny.  With such important matters on the table, it is critical that His word be delivered to us in a true, unaltered state.  There are two reasons for this.  The first is so that we hear clearly and accurately what God desires for us without add-ons and earthly errors.  The Bible teaches us that the best of our earthly wisdom doesn’t even compare with the folly of God, so what could we possibly add on our own?  Secondly, our own attempts to add to the word imply that the word is lacking, insufficient and in need of further assistance on our part.  God’s word has power that we can’t add to or detract from.  It accomplishes exactly what He intends for it to do, as stated in Isaiah 55:9-11.

 
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

 
May we spend every moment of our lives totally aligned to the word that God has spoken over us, so that by it we will know the fullness of His blessings He has awaiting us today and for eternity.

 
With nothing further to add…