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Friday, January 11, 2013

Getting to Know God: El-emet

When I first started my writing career and was struggling to find my place in the writing world, I tried my hand at copywriting for a little while.  After all, copywriting, for the most part, is writing a conversational letter that has the potential of making the copywriter a lot of money.  How hard could it be, right?  Well, for someone like me, it was very difficult.  I'm not a salesperson, and when it comes down to brass tacks, that's exactly what a copywriter is--a salesperson.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with copywriting, it's basically an infomercial in written form.  The job of a copywriter, therefore, is to entice the reader to buy the advertised product, system, program and so on.

I think my biggest failing point with copywriting is that I'm a truthful, down-to-earth kind of girl.  If something works well, I'll tell you.  If it doesn't, I'll tell you.  If I'm not sure, well, I'll tell you that too.  Copywriters don't have that luxury.  They are hired to promote the products and to make them sound like the answer you've been searching for, even when the writers know down deep that the product is not all that great.  Personally, I don't believe in making grandiose claims that I can't back up, hence my failure as a copywriter.

We've all seen the commercials and read the ads:  "You're guaranteed to lose 20 pounds by the end of the month without dieting and exercise!"  "You can make your first $500 within 24 hours with this program!"  "Never look for love again!"  It's gotten so bad that I don't believe any of these advertisements anymore.  I've been fooled often enough.  I've been discouraged.  I've been disappointed.  I've put my trust in their claims only to be left with a hole in my wallet, not to mention the problem I was trying to solve in the first place.  Now, I've become a cynic and live by the mantra, "Advertisements cannot be trusted."

Thankfully, I know Someone who can.  His name is El-emet, which means "the God of Truth".  Yes, the word "emet" can be translated as firmness, faithfulness, reliability.  The psalmist speaks of this God of Truth in Psalm 31:5 when he says, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth."  Who better to commit our lives to but the one, true God?  The One who can be trusted.  The One upon whom we can rely.  The One who has proven Himself faithful time and time again.  People may let us down.  Circumstances may let us down.  But El-emet will never let us down.  He is faithful to the end.

I'm sure you've heard the advertising slogan, "You're in good hands with Allstate."  Well, we have Allstate, and so far, we've been satisfied with their coverage and service, but undoubtedly, there will come a time when it doesn't feel like we're in good hands with them.  However, copywriter or not, I can make a claim that I believe 100% and that I can back up with Scripture, and that slogan is this:  "You're in good hands with El-emet."  Satisfaction guaranteed!  Commit your life to Him.  He can be trusted to do what's best with it.

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