We may have bought into the belief that it is hard to know and obey the truth. We may have even come to the point that we reject the premise that there is absolute truth. We will claim and proclaim that “truth is relative” in an attempt to pacify the unrest and justify the conflict that is all around us. In every generation “lies” rise up out of the dust and mud of this conflict, and many cast their hope upon these “lies” for protection. Proof of this is evident in an age old lie that has perpetrated in such a way that it speaks to the hearts of little children ... “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”
Wow! A real honest look at this sing-song childish comeback for insults, reveals that we will mingle a little truth with a little lie to produce a prideful declaration of false invincibility. Sooner or later this declaration will be our demise. The truth is ... that we will be broken(such is life on this side of Heaven), but the lie is ... that words cannot do the breaking? Words can and may damage us for a lifetime. We have healed from many physical wounds, but cruel words proclaimed over us remain indelibly inscribed into our fragile mortal fabric. Words can have incredible crippling consequence that can blind us from the wonderful healing liberty of the full revelation of absolute truth.
“And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32. Jesus' words here were given to a group of individuals who believed. He challenged them to continue on to deeper faith intimacy with Him that would grow in its intensity with a forward, future, grace movement. This movement would be filled with liberty. The link to this liberty – believing in Him, and continuing to grow sure of the absolute truth found in Him, that is always clarified and verified by His Word.
Life can be extremely intense in the blessings that pour over us because of the time we spend in the Word, and the time we allow the Word to spend in us. Don't shy away from the Bible because of the fear that you will become a religious fanatic or a God zombie. There is no life threatening curse that will be discovered in its mysterious pages that is waiting to destroy your life. This fear actually springs from a famine of the Word in our souls. Similar to physical starvation … sometimes there is intense pain in trying to eat again, and that pain, while taking on nourishment, makes us afraid that the food that can save us may also kill us. Fear not, partake and enjoy the feast set before us.
Here is a little mind video that that paints what is behind the Hebrew words in Psalm 119:47-48. This is a crazy word picture of the heart life of the Psalmist in the midst of all the information conflict of his day: (picture a man standing in the storm; cupped in his uplifted hands is a mingling of rain and mud, and he is smearing it across his face - this is a word picture of the Word translated "delight"in verse 47 ) … “I am soiled, ruined, and blinded as I stand here in the outpouring storm of Gods glorious commands that I love, and am settled in that love. As I cup my uplifted hands to catch every drop of the word that will mingle with the dust of my life, I will love You. I will continue to smear the indelible coating of these words across my eyes. The world may see me as soiled ,ruined, filthy and blinded ...but take note, that I am soiled, ruined, filthy and blinded by God's Word. My life may offend you, but I am dancing and singing in the dust and the mud of the conflict caused by my love for God's Word. I sing out of this storm and will continue to sing of the glorious boundaries that this eternal storm of His Word has placed in my life. My ability to see will always be filtered and framed within the context of God's Word.”
Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
HLFA,
Jeff