Searching for the Truth

We move through life with ups and downs, but sometimes when we hit the downs in our lives we wonder Why God? Why Now? As I write this post, I watch someone I love struggle through deep pain and shock. All I can do is turn to God in prayer and pray for peace in this situation. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7. May God bring peace through understanding as the search for the truth begins.

Truth, something so simple yet so complicated. How many times have we ourselves spun webs only to next find ourselves snagged in a web spun by someone else. We have heard so many times in our lives that the truth will set you free. Scripture says this in John 8:32, ” And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus speaks of the truth in John 18:37, “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” If you are someone seeking the truth in your life, then turn to scripture, turn to his word and open your heart to his love, peace, and grace to be poured forth.

The opposite of truth are lies. Lies that maybe labeled as protection will one day only cause devastation. How many people can one lie hurt. Right now I watch three people who I love more than life suffer from a lie labeled protection. Doing the right thing sometimes can be so hard, we can defend our choices so many different ways, but we forget to step into someone else’s place and try to feel what it would be like to be in their shoes. Somehow the truth always wins and the consequences and devastation of the lie follows as the truth finds the light. This devastation is more than most people really bargain for when they spin a web of lies. We are warned in God’s word in 1 John 1:8, ” If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

I pray for these three people and others who have to walk down the path of lies that others paved for them, but I cling to this verse each day in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things will work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” These words give me hope and I pray provide peace to those suffering now that God will bring good into their lives through this pain.

Thankfully we have a heavenly Father who stand in righteousness and truth. Who opens our eyes to the truth of Jesus Christ so that we might find ourselves in his glory one day. The glory that will reveal all the truths of this life. My prayers for those suffering comes from Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

As I watch those close to me suffer I pray Psalm 43:3, “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!’ I remind my loved ones and others of the poem in the Challenge below because God is carrying you through this trial.

Closing Verse: “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;” Zechariah 8:16

Challenge: My challenge is for us all to remember where God is in our trials….

Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”