#68 THE TRUTH 9-1-26
Truth is not something we merely hear once and then forget. Truth is something we must receive, understand, and embrace. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). But before truth can transform our lives, we must be willing to listen to it, learn it, and love it.
LISTEN TO THE TRUTH
The first step is simply to hear what God has said. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). We live in a world filled with voices, opinions, philosophies, traditions, and distractions. Not every voice deserves our attention. The child of God must learn to quiet the noise of the world and listen to the voice of God.
Listening requires humility. We cannot listen to God while insisting that we already know everything. We must come to His Word with an open heart and say, “Lord, teach me.” Sometimes the truth will encourage us. Sometimes it will correct us. Sometimes it will convict us. But whether it comforts us or confronts us, we must listen.
LEARN THE TRUTH
Hearing the truth is not enough. We must take what we hear and seek to understand it. “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Disciples are learners. We study God’s Word, meditate upon it, examine it, and allow it to shape the way we think and live.
The more we learn God’s truth, the more clearly we see God Himself. We learn about His holiness, His righteousness, His mercy, His grace, and His love. We learn about our sin and our need for a Savior. We learn that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Truth is not merely information to store in our minds. It is revelation that should transform our lives.
LOVE THE TRUTH
There is a difference between knowing the truth and loving the truth. Some people know what God’s Word says but do not want to obey it. Paul warned about those who “did not receive the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). God wants us not only to recognize truth but to treasure it.
When we love the truth, we will not run from it when it exposes us. We will welcome correction because we would rather be changed by truth than comforted by error. We will choose God’s Word over our feelings, God’s wisdom over human opinion, and God’s way over our own way.
Listen to the truth. Learn the truth. Love the truth.
Listen with your ears. Learn with your mind. Love with your heart. And when truth has reached the heart, let it reach your hands and your life. The truth we truly love is the truth we will live.
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Lord, keep us from rejecting truth because it is uncomfortable or difficult. Help us to receive Your Word with humility, believe it with faith, and live it with obedience. May Your truth become more than something we hear. May it become the foundation upon which we build our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
