Prayer
Before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 119:27:
Lord, help me to understand the way of your precepts and not to wander from them, so that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds, know You more fully, and live to be more like You.. Amen.
Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your sense of anticipation that God is about to speak to you through His Word.
Reading
Truth is that which is in accordance with reality. To speak the truth is to declare aloud that which is in accordance with reality. To live the truth is to live in accordance with reality.
We live in an age where truth is utterly disrespected and even disparaged by many. Half-truths and even blatant lies and deception seem to be the order of the day among the powerful of the world. The way events are reported or explained often have nothing to do with what is true and everything to do with how those events can be “spun” to the speaker’s advantage by convincing the reader or listener that what happened is not what really happened at all.
George Orwell pointed out,
“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act”.
So, in our day and age of deceit, Christians are called to be “revolutionary” in regard to the truth. Jesus teaches in today’s verses that His followers’ lives are to be characterised by truthfulness and integrity! A Christian should have such a track record of complete integrity and truthfulness that oaths are deemed utterly unnecessary. We ought not to need to call God as our witness because, actually, everyone’s past experience of our truthfulness is all the witness they need.
Why is this so important? Because Christians worship the God who is faithful and true (Psalm 33:4). We follow the Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11) and who calls Himself “The Truth” (John 14:6). God is the Great “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), which means that He simply always is Who He is! And His words are always trustworthy and true (Psalm 33:4).
As children of this God, followers of this Saviour, who are indwelt by this Spirit, truth ought to be part of our spiritual DNA.
It may be tough to live as people of truth in a world of such duplicity, but be encouraged: As Christians who are called to be people of Truth, the indwelling Holy Spirit – the “Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) – will empower and enable us, even when being truthful is tough.
Contemplation
Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn one or more of these declarations over and over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.
As a disciple of Jesus Christ:
- I follow the God of Truth.
- I am called to radical honesty and integrity.
- I will speak the truth.
- I will live by the truth.
Holy Spirit of Truth, empower me to live in step with the Lord of Truth and to live as a child of the Truth. Amen.
Dave's Diary 
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