God's Truth Never Takes A Vacation

Today's Devotion" For January 5, 2006

Read: John 8:31-38; Psalm 40

GOD'S TRUTH NEVER TAKES A VACATION

"Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth." (John 17:17)

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to "get the story straight?" When detectives are questioning suspects in a crime, they are looking for the truth and compare the stories of each person involved. What they find many times is that stories don't always match and often, when re-interrogated, previous accounts put on a different face, both chronologically and factually. Parents often find this is true when it comes to "getting to the bottom" of a situation involving their children. Often, parents find that the facts of the situation don't match the child's or children's version of what happened. For you parents out there you know how challenging, both mentally and emotionally, it is to dig out the truth.

Over the past few years digging out the truth of a situation has taken on new meaning. Politicians have accused their opponents of taking certain "bad" actions and the news media have been found to be careless in their research as to the veracity of those charges. In one case, as a result of reporting during the last Presidential election, it cost a veteran network news anchor his job and sullied his career. Another, more recent account in a leading national newspaper took on a story accusing a public figure of an illegal act, only to later found out that the true facts of the matter were not revealed by a veteran reporter who was protecting his sources. It most likely led to a potentially unwarranted indictment by a federal grand jury of the public figure, which has caused him to resign from his post. That case is still pending.

Over the last couple of months, in the Milwaukee area, there have been two troubling occurrences. One, in an adjoining suburb, appeared to show a great deal of racial prejudice and criminal action toward a woman of color by racially charged graffiti painted on her front door and her house catching fire. Just this morning that situation was again revisited as it turns out that the woman herself is the prime suspect - she may have done these things herself. Over the past week or so, there's been a hue and cry over the beating of a man in a central city neighborhood because he supposedly honked his horn at a group of teens and young adults who were partying in the street. Later it was discovered that the man had just purchased drugs in the neighborhood and was trying to get his money back. Bad move. While his beating was reprehensible and the perpetrators should be brought to justice, the whole story, the whole truth, would seem to indicate that the man is also culpable for his beating as well.

Truth often takes a vacation in our world. People believe what they want to believe; see what they want to see; hear what they want to hear. Whatever "trips our trigger" is what we're most inclined to believe, even if the facts of the matter don't necessarily correlate. The recent ruling by a state court (I believe it was in Ohio) that "intelligent design" is the teaching of the creation story in disguise and, thus, a blatant attempt to bring "religion" into the public schools of the state is another case of the truth being lost to human "reason." It doesn't take a lot of thinking to realize that people making such decisions aren't "thinking" because the illogic of their logic is incredibly obvious. Being blinded by the power and darkness of Sin lends itself to the truth going unnoticed, unheeded, and unheard.

Yet, by God's grace, God's people know the truth and the truth has set them free. By God's grace and the power of His Word and Spirit, we know that our sins are forgiven in Christ, that God is always with us, and that He provides for our every need. Even though truth might take a "holiday" among human beings because of Sin, God's truth is always present for us. We can be certain that His promises are certain, His blessings are sure, and His love is everlasting. We can be certain that Jesus did suffer and die for our sins and that He did rise from the grave so that, by faith in Him, all believers might be forgiven and certain of eternal life. By faith we know that our "facts are straight" and the message certain.

Truth may be in short supply in the world, but it's always in great supply with God. As God's people, redeemed in Jesus Christ and living in His forgiveness and love, we have a solemn, special, and vital task - sharing that perfect truth with the world and bringing the light of Christ's love to a world lost in the darkness of Sin. By God's grace, through faith in Jesus, we live in the light of God's truth and share the true Light of the world, Jesus Christ, with everyone. For us, no matter how much insincerity, how many lies, and how many accounts filled with "fractured facts" might touch our lives, we can confidently
"hang our hats" on the truth of God's love for us in Jesus.

Prayer: Father, as I face the world today, I do so with great caution, knowing that truth may be in short supply. People may lie to me or keep me from the truth of a situation. I might hear conflicting news about important events and not be certain what to believe. My heart may be drawn in a direction by certain prejudices to the truth that I might harbor in my heart, blinded by the Sin in my life. Father, forgive me for the times I let the truth "take a vacation" in my life and heart. Forgive me when I "shade" the truth to avoid its consequences in my relationships. Forgive me when my own feelings and desires take precedence over the truth of Your Word and Will. By the power of Your Word and Spirit, guide me to live in Your truth in Christ each day as a living witness to Your love and the forgiveness of sins that You give to the world in Jesus. Let me never falter from sharing the saving truth of the Gospel with others, nor let me waver from living that truth every moment of my life in ever circumstance You give me to witness to Your love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2006 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.