truth – Refining [Spiritual Growth]

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have. **Abraham Lincoln**

Hi friends! How’s your week been? I am adjusting to my new weekly travels and students for the spring semester. Getting to know each student takes time. Most students are a little reluctant at first and seem to be more receptive once I share a bit about my personal life. I am always ready to talk about my #1 love but, as you know, this isn’t always allowed in an educational setting. So, very rarely is God the topic of our discussion.

At each location, I meet with students in various locations: janitor’s closet, library, conference room, teacher’s lounge, someone’s office, guided reading closet. . . This week, at one of the locations, we utilized the assistant principal’s office. When entering the room, colorful posters filled the walls and 3D models were carefully displayed on every table like an art exhibit. As the student and I sat down to begin the intervention session, the student asked who the people were on the crafted posters. I replied, “It looks like a class has been studying Greek Mythology.” “Oh yeah, all those gods and goddesses. I’ve read about them,” the student stated. I decided to use this as a teachable genre moment and defined Ancient Greek folklore. After I shared the basic explanation of a myth, the student asked, “So, who is the Real God? Is it Zeus? You know, the true one, the main God?”

Silence. . .Wheels turning. . .Appropriate “educational setting” response or the TRUTH? “No, it is not Zeus. The one true, real god’s name is God and He is not a myth,” I replied. Then out of nowhere, a god poster fell off the wall.

On my way to the next location, I kept hearing the student’s question over and over in my head. “So, who is the Real God?”. How can someone know that they know the true God? Vaguely I could hear Jack Graham, Power Point Ministries, in the background. I turned up the volume. Graham was referencing John 16 as the words in verse 25 caught my attention, “I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.” The plain truth. Just speak the plain truth of who the Real God is.

God is . . .

Yahweh, Almighty God	I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. (NLT)	Exodus 6:3
Creator	Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (NIV)	John 1:3
Holy One	For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)	Psalm 16:10
All Knowing	for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (ESV)	1 John 3:20
Ever Present	O LORD, You have searched me and known me., For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.	Psalm 139: 1, 13
Jehovah	That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth. (NASB)	Psalm 83:18

God is my everything. He is my Jehovah Jireh. He has never failed me nor left me as stated in Deuteronomy 31:6. May I forever declare Psalm 91:2 so the world will know He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, I will trust in Him always. God’s love and truth is the highest-ranking genre that could ever be taught, studied, or experienced. God is the Real REAL! He stands alone. Nothing else can compare. He is Holy, Holy, Holy! The Almighty Lord is beyond supernatural. God is the ONE and ONLY! And that’s the plain truth.

Truth told…Have you ever prefaced what you say with this statement? Mark Twain once said, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”. It was Emily Dickinson who made the statement, “Truth is such a rare thing, it is delighted to tell it”. We often find ourselves defending what we say as absolute honesty to assure people believe us. Why are we skeptical? – The world’s vast deception-white lies, news, advertisements, publications, etc. Need I say more?

An elementary educator once told me truth would always be revealed. Of course it was after she inquired about my “bandaged” lie. I couldn’t really conceal the extremely swollen hand wrapped in an ace bandage. Truth told…the day before was a school holiday and my mother had dictated to stay home. Surely that did not include a visit to my grandparent’s house three blocks away!

As I took off early in the morning, the walk was pleasant, and the spring weather placed a pep in my stride. I eagerly anticipated picking a few peaches and enjoying breakfast with my Granny. The morning menu was consistent-one farm fresh scrambled egg and a single piece of bread toasted in a cast iron skillet topped with butter and homemade wild plum jam. This was going to be an amazing day. Besides, what a wonderful surprise it would be for my grandmother.

Once I arrived, I immediately reached for a large, luscious peach. Pain shot up my arm and out came a deafening scream. Needless to say, the yellow jacket was the culprit who blew my cover. I quickly noted that my grandmother was excellent at scrambling more than just eggs. She scurried around to find medicine, tweezers, gauze, bandage, ice pack, and my mother’s work phone number. Why? I had an allergic reaction. BUSTED! Oh yeah, and no breakfast after all.

In Galatians 3, Paul insists on revealing the truth. He was on a mission to blow the cover of the Judaizer’s checklist of regulations for the new Gentile converts. They were led astray from the true gospel and began believing on fleshy means to solidify their salvation because of false teachings. Paul was determined to convey the real meaning of grace-a free gift received through faith in Jesus Christ. He probably said, “Truth told…the gospel is not earned based on our merit”.

God’s promise is honest and true. Paul is clear in his message that the promise of God is trustworthy and eternal because it is directly from God. Our Father extends the invitation to be part of His family through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. We are unable to earn grace through mere obedience. Our efforts are fruitless! (So was my morning in my grandparent’s yard!)

You, my friend, are a child of God. Don’t be tempted to succumb to the lies of the enemy. Trust in the truth and cling to Galatians 3:25-29-Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Tag: truth

But Who Is the Real God?

Truth told. . .