2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 ESV, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 ESV, Psalm 84:1-12 ESV, Proverbs 25:15 ESV
Daily Verse: “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)
ALETHEIA (225): “Signifying the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.”[1]
Veritable essence.
Seeking truth takes work. You can’t believe everything you hear and see in today’s world. The web of worldly lies has so many strands only Jesus can untangle them. We place our faith in truth by receiving the Holy Spirit and accepting Christ into our lives.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1 ESV
When we talk about Jesus, we always chat about love. But Christ also came to tell the truth, which we forget. Satan lies, cheats, and steals; Jesus does none of those things. Following God’s Son will lead you to the veritable essence of any situation.
Discerning truth.
Given enough time, the truth always comes out. When we take a situation to the Father in prayer, asking for His discernment, God will lead us to the veritable essence. Sometimes the answers come quickly; sometimes, they take time, and often, we must desire to know them.
For many people, the tools they use to deal with life come as avoidance and denial. Instead of dealing with the not-so-pretty facts of a circumstance, they ignore it. Healing can’t come if we don’t know the truth.
When I took my mother to the doctor in her elderly years, the doc asked her how she felt. “I’m fine,” she always answered. However, as her caretaker, I knew she suffered from different ailments; she just didn’t want to face them. Not telling the doctor her symptoms meant he didn’t have the full facts to treat her.
Following Jesus will reveal hard truths, some you’d rather not know. But we hurt ourselves and others if we don’t deal with facts. Baring our souls to Christ allows Him to reveal the truth and help us find healing from the hurts.
God wants us to live life to the fullest, so He sent Jesus. Pursuing life in Christ happens when we seek truth with Him.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 13) Thomas Nelson
