The excitement of discovering truth
by Peter Brokaar
There’s nothing more exciting than discovering more of who Jesus is, and more of His truth. The disciples experienced their ‘hearts burning within them’ as Jesus opened to them the Scriptures and showed them more about Himself. God’s desire for us is to have a similar excitement!
This excitement could be hampered through our own fears. It could be a fear of getting it wrong, or a fear of being deceived. These fears can cause us shy away from certain parts of the Bible. For example, I have met many Christians who do not wish to know anything Jesus’ ministry of deliverance. Others are afraid of spiritual gifts or of the supernatural. Yet others again might be scared to consider the destiny of Israel as a nation.
Something I personally enjoy doing is foraging for mushrooms. I love finding the edible kinds and converting them into a tasty meal. The experience of being outside, searching for, and cooking with tasty mushrooms brings me great excitement! Yet many well-meaning people have sought to discourage me from doing so, as they have heard of the dangers associated with eating poisonous varieties.
The dangers are real indeed. For that reason I make sure that I check and double check every single mushroom I pick, and I hold fast to other strict safety measures. This enables me to experience the joy of mushroom foraging (and eating!) without the fear of being poisoned. But what a shame if I’d given in to fear and foregone all the joy and fun that’s now mine!
Seeking to discover more truth is not without its risks. Biblical warnings to avoid deception and to test, weigh and measure absolutely everything are extremely relevant for us today. They are intended to keep us from being ‘spiritually poisoned.’ But they were NOT intended to paralyse us into fear! They were NOT intended to keep us from the excitement of discovery! I believe that the Lord would like us to apply His safety measures and to be burning with excitement as we discover more of Him.
Prayer: Father in heaven, I thank You that Your heart for me is to be excited about continually discovering more about You, Your Word and Your truth. Forgive me Father, where I have let fear rob me of this excitement. I ask You to grant that I have ‘my heart burning within me’ as I walk with You, and I invite You to reveal more of Yourself and Your truth to me. I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Peter Brokaar is Director of Ellel Ministries Scotland and has been there together with his wife Liz since 2005. They have 3 kids, all born in Scotland! In his free time he likes reading, cooking, running and surfing. Being at Ellel Scotland has given him the privilege of getting to know God deeper and sharing that joy with many others.
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