Thankful, Day Ninety-Eight

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates wtih thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

People have such a foggy understanding of truth these days. They don't always tell it, and they don't always want to hear it. The saddest part of all is they don't always know what it is. Our culture has made truth so malleable, so changeable. We are told that truth is relative to who we are or where we are or what situation we are in. It's okay to lie, if you're sparing someone's feelings, or if you're protecting yourself or helping someone else out. And absolute truth...well, that's something that belongs in the dark and distant past when we weren't so enlightened. But now that we've discovered the divine spark within all of us, truth is what we make it. Truth is whatever we want to believe. And you better not be trying to tell me what truth is, because your truth may not necessarily be true for me.

It's those same people who believe in evolution and extra-terrestrial life. We've seen no proof for either one whatsoever, but people still want to accept them as truth.

When there is no truth, there is no supreme moral law. But people still want to point to things and say, "that's wrong." And it's wrong because "we can all agree that it's wrong." Like murder. And rape. And child abuse. Everyone will agree that those things are wrong. Everyone, that is, excpet the murderer, the rapist, and the abuser. Those people think their actions are just fine. So if truth is relative, how can we really say that anything is right or wrong?

Without truth, we can adopt any set of rules or practices that we want and call it right. It's how some can say that "all roads lead to God" or "everyone's going to heaven, no matter what we beleive." It's also how people can say, "there is no God. This life is all you get."

However, the TRUTH of the matter is this: there is a God, and you're not Him. He wants His creation to know Him, so He revealed Himself through His Word, which is absolute truth. He revealed Himself through His son Jesus Christ, who is the faithful and true witness. He is the same yesterday, today and forever; what He said yesterday still stands sure today. His truth never changes, and it pronounces judgment on all who add to or take away from it.

Now, you may not believe that. And you don't have to. You have the right, the freedom, and the liberty to believe and practice anything you want. Just be prepared to accept the consequences if you are wrong. Because the absolute truth says there are consequences for them who do not believe it.

God, I'm thankful for Your true and faithful Word in the Bible, inspired, written, and preserved for our benefit. Thank you for telling us what You want us to know, what You want us to believe, and how You want us to live. That way, I don't have to make up life as I go along.

God, I'm thankful for your true and faithful Word in the person of Jesus Christ, immortal, all-powerful, and on my side. Thank you for sending Your own self in human form, for sacrificing Your own flesh and blood on behalf of my transgressions, for defeating death, hell and the grave in the resurrection, and for the promise of His soon return. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

God, I'm thankful for Your true and faithful Word to me personally for my own life. You haven't added to Your Word, nor taken anything away, neither have You contradicted Yourself by speaking to me. You merely enlighten and grant wisdom and understanding; You guide and direct through all forms of communication with me; You open the eyes of my heart and mind to see Your truth for what it really is--always true and fully applicable to me today. And when You speak, You are always right.

Thank Your Lord for speaking--through your Word, through your Son, and through your Spirit directly to me. I need to hear from you.