The Truth of God
What is truth? Various generations have had different ways of answering that question. It is a popular belief in today’s culture that truth can be whatever you want it to be. This is the idea that truth is relative and unique to every individual person.
But if everyone lives their own truth, then nobody can truly know which one is right. And if one person’s truth contradicts another person’s truth, then one of them must be wrong.
Scripture tells us that there is an objective truth available to us that we can live by. Rather than truth being grounded in the individual, it is grounded in something much bigger than ourselves. Truth is sourced from God.
God is the Ruler and Creator of the universe, and the one from whom truth and beauty come. God’s Word contains the truths that He has spoken to us so that we might live according to His truth.
Jesus says that His teachings are true because they come from God. He goes on to say that anyone who knows the truth will be set free in their life by the truth of God.
When we know the truth, we are no longer living according to a lie. God’s truth illuminates our life and shows us true reality. This is why Jesus says that the truth will set us free. We become truly free to live according to how God designed us to live.
An important part of learning what is true and what isn’t is reading God’s Word. He has spoken to us through His Word, and all that He has spoken is true. When we read and memorize God’s Word, we learn more and more about God.
Take some time today to thank God for revealing Himself to us through His Word, and for illuminating our lives with His truth.
Hope for the Poor in Spirit
Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount with an upside-down perspective and eight counter-cultural blessings—commonly known as the beatitudes.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 ESV
To be physically poor is to lack resources or material possessions. The word "poor" might trigger a mental image of someone who can’t pay their bills, can’t break free from the cycle of poverty, or can’t afford food, clothing, or shelter.
So what does it mean to be spiritually poor, and why does Jesus think that’s a good thing?
Those who realize their own spiritual poverty know that, without God, they are spiritually bankrupt. Those who are poor in spirit understand the desperation of their situation—that they can have nothing, do nothing, and be nothing without Him. Those who are poor in spirit recognize that it’s humility, not pride or self-reliance, that’s a ...