Getting to the Truth (Part 2)

How do we get to know the truth? Things often come in threes in Scripture, and this is no exception. Jesus said to His disciples ‘I am the Way, the TRUTH and the Life and nobody comes to the Father but by Me’. So first we need to get to know Jesus.

When my daughter was ‘courting’, way back in the days before mobile phones – remember what it was like? – she would come home in the holidays. She was at university, and her boyfriend was already working in London, so every evening he’d ring her and they spent hours talking together. My husband and I would wonder what they were talking about, but I guess we did exactly the same when we were courting. They were getting to know each other, because they were going to marry each other. One day we’re going to be ‘married’ to Jesus, our Bridegroom, so we need to spend time talking with Him, listening to Him, and getting to know Him. That’s the first truth.

The second truth is that Jesus’ Word is truth, so we need to study the Word. I wonder how much time we spend studying His Word compared with how much time we spend on our mobiles, tablets or whatever? There’s so much truth in the Bible for us to discover.

I recently read a book which studied all the prophecies which have been fulfilled since the Jewish people began returning to Israel in the 1880’s, over 175 in all, even down to tiny details. For example, at the end of the book of Amos it speaks of the vineyards being replanted on the hills of Israel and in Isaiah (17:10b) it speaks of bringing slips from foreign lands to build up the vines. This has happened in recent years, as seedlings of Italian, French and German grapes have been imported to improve the Israeli wine.

I had the wonderful privilege of going to Israel earlier this year, and amongst my most precious memories was the visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, where 2,000-year old olive trees still grow. The atmosphere there was so powerful that I found myself weeping, despite the many tourists around me. In Romans Chapter 11, Paul talks about the Gentiles being grafted into the Olive Tree (Israel), and I learned from my Messianic guide that, when those wonderful old trees showed signs of dying, new slips were grafted in to bring them back to life. God’s truth is being demonstrated before our eyes.

The third aspect of truth is that about ourselves. Only Jesus knows the full truth about us and, at the right time, He can reveal those truths, so we can deal with them – the lies hidden in our hearts, the sinful nature we like to keep hidden, or may not even recognise in ourselves. He does it gently with a prod from the Holy Spirit to bring us closer to Him and make us a fitting Bride for our heavenly Bridegroom.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, thank You that we can rely on Your Word as truth. There are times we feel discouraged and lost, but You’re a faithful God who always fulfils His promises. May we grow in our relationship with You, in our trust and understanding. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.