Which Is True?

When I went into our bedroom this morning to help my wife up for the day, she was lying on her back, fast asleep with a very content look on her lovely face.  I must admit that as I stood there gazing upon her countenance I found myself with a wide smile on my face and suddenly had a strong urge to tickle her!  But restraint prevailed with the truth that such actions would most likely serve only to confuse her as she awoke… besides, she’s not very ticklish in the areas in which most others seem to be sensitive in… but then again… there is that one spot right above her knees…  Ooophs!  Don’t let her know that I spilled her secret!

And while we are on the subject of truth… I had somewhat of a frustrating incident yesterday.  We finally had a day free of most of our home buying responsibilities and I took advantage of the time by taking the Mustang in to get the oil changed and the necessary North Carolina Inspection as a pre-requisite to getting new tags for the vehicle.  Since this was the first time I was to get any maintenance on the car since we bought it, I decided to bring it to the larger of the local Ford dealerships in neighboring Cary, NC.

This particular store is not located with most of the other dealers on Auto Row on the far end of the city but nearer to the downtown area.  I was not familiar with the location and trusted my path to my old friend MapQuest.  Well… my friend let me down!  It turns out that the directions I had were not true and I ended up going around in circles for a while until I finally pulled over to give my iPhone and Siri a try.  Her voice activated assistance led me on a true course to the service center located two or three streets away from the original MapQuest directions.

As I lay on my back in bed this morning (I guess this was a day for sleeping on our backs for both of us!) I began to meditate on a portion of Ephesians 4:15 from the King James Version where Paul wrote to believers in the church: “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things…”  When I first read this the other day, my initial point of view was our experience of some folks not speaking truthful things about me and the decisions I was making for my wife’s care and how those words we’re definitely not spoken in love but in anger.  I was going along that same path this morning when I suddenly heard that small still voice deep inside me ask: “What if that “truth” in that verse was talking about the truth of God’s Word?”

Well, that startled me for a moment as I swung my feet over the edge of the bed in order to get up for the day.  That argument would definitely change the way most of us face our daily lives!  What if all we spoke out of our lips was what the Word of God said about the situations we face?  Not what we see, hear, think or feel that might be different to what HE says about it.  I know that I have mentioned before how in John 17:17 Jesus prayed to His Father asking that He would set apart His followers from the dictates of the world through His Word.  My revelation this morning would seem to agree with that prayer… wouldn’t it?

Romans 8:2 informs us that “The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death.” (God’s Word ©)  Further down in verse six we come to understand that the corrupt nature of those who trust in the world’s standards or dictates have an attitude that leads to death.  I believe that this can be considered as either death to our souls, our bodies or to our faith!  While those of us who follow after the dictates or truth of God’s Word have an attitude that leads to life and peace. (God’s Word ©)

Trusting and speaking out what the world says about the situations in life gives us no hope and literally destroys our expectations of God’s best happening in our lives.  It takes our eyes off of His capabilities and places them on… well… on NOTHING!  I see this disparity almost every time I explain to someone new what is going on with my wife, just like with one of the home inspectors on Monday, or the older Japanese lady that we met while on a walk around our neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon.

I could see the sadness and despair in their eyes when I explained her situation but then also witnessed a total change in their very countenance when I ended my explanation declaring: “BUT… we are not giving up because we serve a mighty and powerful God!”  It was like I tossed them a life raft and salvation was possible!  Suddenly they had something to hook their hope onto… Suddenly they had an expectation of God’s best for my wife!

If we spoke and believed in the truth of God’s Word for the traumas we face on a regular basis, we would have that same life raft of His potential salvation for that situation… no matter what our senses were screaming out to us… wouldn’t we?  I think… NO!  I KNOW SO!  Like I’ve said repeatedly… that’s the only thing that keeps me going each day.  If I didn’t continually speak out the Word of God over my wife throughout the day and night… I would have given up long ago!  But you know… I can’t give up, because I have the TRUTH of God’s Word working on her behalf!

It’s like I spoke out to my wife in that crowded waiting room at the Ford dealership yesterday saying: “You do realize that you are set apart from what the world says about  that chair you’re currently sitting in and from the dictates of that disease by the TRUTH of God’s Word… don’t you?”  And she smiled… and so did I!

Have a wonderful weekend.  We are supposed to have some cooler weather in the mid-fifties blow in by Sunday.  So if you’re like us, it might be time to take out the Fall weather coats and sweaters!  Stay TRUE to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s Word am I expecting to trust as the TRUTH of any matter today?”