The Flowering of TRUTH!

I posed a question at the end of my last blog post* asking my readers if they had ever considered the idea that the greatest happiness we can know and experience is when the TRUTH of God and His Word is manifested in our lives, as well as in the lives of those around us.  And as I studied and prepared and then wrote that blog, I continued to mull over in my mind, the best way in which to expect and come to see that type of experience or lifestyle, manifested in our lives as well in the life of those with whom we interact with in our daily lives.

In order to introduce a Biblical basis for my thoughts, I had shared something that the Apostle Paul had written in his first letter to the Christian church in Corinth, where he stated that the God kind of LOVE… when acted upon in our lives…

“…isn't happy when injustice is done, but takes pleasure in the flowering of Truth.”  (I Corinthians 13:6  God’s Word ©/MSG)

As I pondered my dilemma and re-read this verse… the obvious answer popped into my mind and I gently slapped myself on the forehead while exclaiming… “Well Dah!  It’s elementary my dear Watson!”  For it dawned on me that this verse makes it extraordinarily clear, that in order to expect and then see the manifestation… or “the flowering of TRUTH…” one has to first know and understand what the TRUTH of God and His Word is… right?

And how does one do that?  Well… the simplest way that I know, is to pick up a Bible and begin to read and study what it says!  I always suggest that a person pick up a modern translation instead of one of the old standbys like the King James Version.  For while it may be beautiful in its poetic prose, it’s Elizabethan English from the 1500’s can be a little difficult to get through… especially for the newcomer. 

As a kid, I can remember picking up my parent’s Douay–Rheims Catholic Version of the Bible and never being able to get through the first few sentences without putting it down in total disappointment and confusion!  But when I started my senior year in High School, my girlfriend… who later became my wife… gave me a paperback version of the modern Good News Bible which made comprehension much easier for me.

Added to the modern translation though, was the consistent presence of my extremely patient Christian girlfriend Piper, to help explain things for me, along with what came to be my regular attendance at her mid-week Youth Group meetings. 

Since then… well, even before then… I have been what might be considered a Bibliophile, which is defined as a lover and collector of books.  That said, my bookshelves in numerous rooms of my house are literally overflowing with all sorts of Bible translations, Bible study books, books written by or about my heroes of the faith, books about the various revivals over the centuries as well as fiction mystery/thrillers from the Hardy Boy’s to Clive Cussler’s masterpieces and many others that have copied his style.  I even have some Cozy Mysteries in my ever-growing collection!  Before Piper… I was an avid collector of Secret Agent Spy Thrillers!

With the advent of the internet, smart devices and e-readers, we now have an almost inexhaustible supply of study aids, Bibles and books of all kinds at our fingertips, along with Bible teachers and ministers and churches representing almost every denomination!  So, it is kind of difficult for one to use the excuse that they can’t understand the Bible and the message that God has sent to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

So… Let’s leave it there for a while and give you a chance to find a Bible translation that you like and begin to study and thereby start to expect and see the “flowering of Truth” in your life and in those around you… as you begin to live and then share your findings of the truth with them!

I was looking through the book of James in one of my Bibles this morning and could see how this would be a great book in which to begin your adventure into the Word of Truth.  Each chapter is filled with common sense, practical Christian teaching and training and advice written by the pastor to the members of the early Christian church in Jerusalem and to those dispersed abroad.  The epistle of John is another good place to read if you want to know more about Jesus and His foundation of Love for each of us.

So… find a comfortable seat, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide, teach, explain and counsel you (See: John 14:26) and then expect His best as you learn all about the “flowering of TRUTH” in your life!

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life as you enjoy seeing His TRUTH being manifested in your life and then spread through your example, to those around you!

 

*http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-truth-of-happiness.html