Know The Truth

Posted by Ndidi in Devotional | | 0 comments

Read it out loud: As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. [Acts 17:10-11]

Ponder it prayerfully: Truth…what is truth? Pilate asked this question of Jesus when Jesus declared that He had come to this world to testify of the truth (John 18:38). Jesus mentions to His disciples, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).  Now, most of us misquote this scripture, focusing on the latter part, “the truth shall make you free”. What truth is Jesus referring to? I believe Jesus gave us the answer with the first part of the scripture, “you shall know the truth”. It is not the truth that makes you free, but the truth that you know. Consequently, if you don’t know the truth of God’s word, how can you worship God in spirit and in truth like He instructs (John 4:23)? How can you hope to navigate this world? Not knowing the truth is like trying to reach a destination without a road map or with a broken-down GPS system. You’d quickly get lost, as you will without knowing what God’s word says about your situation, your life, your purpose, you. Without the direction the Word of God brings, we would easily fall prey to the enemy’s schemes, believing the lies. How then do we prevent falling prey to the enemy’s schemes? How do we resist the enemy as James encourages us to do (James 4:2)?

Be a doer (James 1:22): I believe he (the Apostle James) answers that question by encouraging us to submit ourselves to God, drawing near to Him. Studying the word of God will enable us to draw near to God, and He in turn, will draw near to us. Thus, we’ll be more able to hear clearly what He is saying to us as we peruse the scriptures consistently. We should strive always to be like the Berean Christians mentioned in the scripture above, who enthusiastically received the message of Paul and Silas, and examined the scriptures every day; on translation mentions they searched the scriptures day and night. The truth of God’s word is not something that should be glossed over casually, but should be carefully examined and understood by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus warns His disciples that in the last days, “false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22). This is a very sobering thought and should compel us to listen intently to what God is saying to us. It’s been said over and over and it bears repeating: God’s word is truth (John 17:17).

How did Jesus win the victory over the enemy when He was tempted in the wilderness? That’s right…using the word of God. God’s word is our spiritual sword, which will bring damage to the kingdom of darkness if we would use it. What is God saying to you about the situation you may be going through? About whom you are in Him? If you are unsure, I encourage you to begin spending time in God’s word on a day to day basis, and expect Him to speak to you…because He will.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me…Through the power of the Holy spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you. [2 Timothy 1:13-14]

Pray it personally:  Almighty God, I thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth; truth about You, Your word, Your promises and Your purpose and plan for my life. I admit sometimes it’s easy to believe the lies of the enemy, especially when I’m rusty regarding your word. I know I cannot afford to neglect careful study of Your word and I realize that is one of the main ways You speak and confirm your word to me. I set my heart to draw near to You today, and every day, spending time in your presence, and listening as You speak to me through Your word, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

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