Truthworks

“Keep you guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.” (1 Peter 5:9, The Message).

There are few things the devil likes more than to get you believing that you’re the only one going through a tough time. He wants you to feel alone, forsaken, and forgotten. If he can pull it off — you will drop your guard, lower your shied of faith and be wide open for his more assiduous assaults. Don’t let him win — keep a firm grip on your faith.

Peter goes on to say, “The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ — eternal and glorious plans they are! — will have you put together and on your feet for good.” (1 Peter 5:10).

So the next time you’re feeling all alone, and deep down inside you hear the rumblings of that old song — “O nobody knows the trouble I seen” — stop right there. EVERYBODY knows! In fact, we are all going through it with you. So stop your whining; it’s embarrassing.

Paul and Silas were in a dungeon chained to the wall and surrounded by rats. They started singing praise to God and the devil started shaking in his boots. He shook so hard that an earthquake happened, which broke the chains and opened up the prison doors — setting Paul and Silas free!

Here’s a happy thought — Instead of moaning about your troubles, start singing praise to God! Why, you never know, you just might be the one that causes a prison break for the rest of us!

“….the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac.” (Hosea 9:7, NIV).

Guilt makes people do and say really stupid things. Like the “speak no evil, see no evil, and hear no evil” monkies – there are people so eaten up with guilt and shame that in anger they shut themselves off to the Truth. And, most ironically of all, they open themslve wide to any religious or political ideology that permits their wrong beliefs and behavior.

Such was the case long ago in the land of Israel. Bad leadership had lead to national disaster, and the people became overburdened with guilt and shame for the foolishness of their errant ways. When the prophets arrived to call them back – they plugged their ears and treated them like fools and maniacs.

We may very well be approaching a similar tipping point in our own time – for there is an unchecked defiance of truth running rampant in our Land. Arrogant men and women have lifted themselves above the Law and used the power of their influence to corrupt, destort and destroy as much as they can of the Christian message and influence in our Nation.

By posing as men and women of superior knowledge, and taking it upon themselves to bring correction to matters about which they are ignorant, they prove the old scripture true — “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22).

But, the Lord is watching from Heaven, and He will have the last word in these earthen affairs. Ponder the following poem written by Robert W. Service, and consider his words well….

The Man Who Knew

The Dreamer visioned Life as it might be,
and from his dream forthright a picture grew;
a painting all the people thronged to see,
and joked therein — till came the Man Who Knew,
saying: “This is bad! Why do ye gape, ye fools!
He painteth not according to the schools.”

The Dreamer probed Life’s mystery of woe,
and in a book he sought to give the clue;
The people read, and saw that it was so,
and read again — then came the Man Who Knew,
saying: “Ye witless ones! This book is vile;
it hath not got the rudiments of style.”

Love smote the Dreamer’s lips, and silver clear
he sang a song so sweet, so tender true,
that all the market-place was thrilled to hear,
and listened rapt — till came the Man Who Knew,
saying: “His technique’s wrong; he singeth ill,
waste not your time.” The singer’s voice was still.

And then the people roused as if from sleep,
crying, “What care we if it be not Art!
Hath he not charmed us, made us laugh and weep?
Come, let us crown him where he sits apart!”
Then, with his picture spurned, his book unread,
His song unsung, they found their dreamer — dead.

So, I ask you, who are the real fools and maniacs?

“But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23).

Among the many things that dominate our deepest dreams, there are three that stand out above the rest. They are Knowledge, Strength, and Wealth.

Think about how much of who you are in the eyes of others (and perhaps even yourself) is defined by your level of intelligence, your physical appearance and abilities, and your bank account. Indeed, the American Dream is about having as much education, physical prowess, and financial clout as we can possibly acquire.

The pursuit of these things often determines the life we end up living….or losing. Our education falls behind the times; our strength fails with age; our wealth ultimately belongs to someone else. In short, our castles all crumble.

The Lord used Jeremiah the prophet to deliver a timeless truth for men of all ages. “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,” Jeremiah wrote, “but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (Jeremiah 9:23,24).

You may be smart, and possess many degrees, and have keen insight into many different fields of knowledge—but, do you know the Lord?

You may be a physical specimen, strong and resilient, looking as though you’ve just come down from Olympus—but, do you know the Lord?

You may be loaded with money, with no end in sight of all the riches you are yet to acquire—but, do you know the Lord?

Ultimately your knowledge will prove limited, your body will wear down, and your money will belong to somebody else; so it would be the height of folly to place your trust in these things. But the people who know the Lord, we are told, “will be strong and do exploits!” (Daniel 11:32).

So, do you know the Lord?

There are people who do not know the Lord, and refuse to acknowledge Him because of their pride and ignorance. There are some who imagine that they know Him, but live in fear of Him; a fear created by lies that they have believed about Him. And then there are those who do know the Lord truly, and love Him dearly.

Which one are you?