The Truth Will Set You Free

We have all heard the adage, “The truth will set you free.” I believe this is a true statement. Truth does hurt my pride, but it does set me free from the guilt of having to live with a lie. 

     I remember what my boss told me when I accepted a new job years ago. He said, “If you make a mistake on the job, admit it, and we will work together to get it corrected.” I always tried to live up to that during the course of my career while often watching a few co-workers who tried to cover up their mistakes by not admitting to it or by attempting to blame others. I much prefer the first option of “admitting my mistake and correcting it.” 

     

Actually, there are a few scriptures that could be considered about admitting truth: 

 “…and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32b

 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” Psalm 32:3

 “…God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6b

 

A~S~K

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Prayer is essential: 

Ask through bended-knee prayer.

Seek with desire for God’s face to shine upon your request.

Knock with assurance & confidence for the door to open.

 

 I simply must A~S~K in prayer to honor God, to communicate with God, to connect with God, to gain confidence in God, to grow my faith in God, and to participate in God’s desires.

Cost

Each time I go to the grocery store, I find the costs of items I need have gone up in price. This increased cost takes a toll on my pocket-book, and it hurts!

     However, when I seriously consider “cost,” I think of what Jesus did. He paid the ultimate cost! And, He paid it for me.

     “All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” 

     I like to place myself into this verse, because it was for Me that He paid the cost. 

     “I have gone astray. I have turned to my own way, but the Lord has caused my iniquity to fall on Him.”

     Thank you, Jesus, for paying the cost of my sin.

By Faith

Hebrews 11 says: 

v23.. By faith Moses was hidden.

v24.. By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter.

v27.. By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King.

v28.. By faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood.

     

I, Mary, do have faith just as Moses did. My faith may be weak at times and strong at times, but my faith lives within at all times. 

 

By faith, as a youth Mary found the Lord.

By faith, Mary knows she is saved.

By faith, Mary has assurance she is forgiven when she asks.  

By faith, Mary knows that God walks by her side.

By faith, Mary lives to seek God’s promises.

By faith, Mary believes, through her troubles, all will be well.

                  

Holy Land

In Exodus and Acts, scripture points out that God told Moses, “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.” Then in Joshua, the commander of the Lord’s army told Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.” 

     I know this is a long stretch and has nothing to do with God’s command to “take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground,” however I will use it to make a point about a pet peeve of mine. 

     “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” then later Jesus said, “I am with you always.” Because this land was created by God and Jesus is with me always, the land upon which I tread is holy. It is up to me to be respectful of the land in which I am so blessed to live. I have a responsibility to keep it clean.

     If we all considered this land holy, I would not be seeing “LITTER” (haphazard tossing of cans and paper) along every road, highway, and interstate.  

     It is so easy to keep a litter bag handy!

 

Die to Live

Genesis gives us a bit of genealogy from the first man, Adam, on down to the days of Noah. These men, just as I am, were created in the image of God. "Male and female, He created them" and they lived a very, very long time, but in the end they all died, except Enoch, who God took. 

     I know that one day I, too, will die but long before I reach the ripe old age of these men. However, between when these men lived and I was born, God sent Jesus. He gave me the Holy Spirit to guide me in a different way than when God walked and talked with these first men. 

     Jesus gave me a special way to see death. One day I know that I will die, but I have been given a promise that will not be broken. This promise is that I will rise to live forever in a place Jesus has gone before and prepared for me. How do I know this? God said, "If you believe in the Son, you shall not perish but have everlasting life." Then Jesus said, "I go and prepare a place a place for you and will come again to receive you." What a profound hope and joy this gives me!

Genesis 5

 “And all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

And all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. 

And all the days of Enos were 905 years, and he died.

And all the days of Cainan were 910 years, and he died. 

And all the days of Mahalaleel were 895 years, and he died. 

And all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. 

And all the days Enoch were 365 years; 

     Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.

And all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. 

And all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.”

     

     

Walk in My Shoes

I have a closet full of shoes; some of which I need to get rid of. However, my shoes are important. They need to fit just right. I do not want them too tight or too loose. When my feet ache, my body does too. 

     Actually, my daughter hates to go shoe shopping with me because I am so picky about the way a new shoe will fit and feel. I like shoes to look good but, more importantly, is how they support my feet. 

     When I consider shoes for my feet, I think back to the Israelites, and in Deuteronomy, I am told, “Your feet did not swell during these forty years.”  God protected His people, and they wore the right shoes at the right time. 

     Then, in Joshua, Moses said, “The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance…”  I like to think that my feet are walking on the land where God intends me to be. I certainly need the right pair of shoes to tread these paths.

     In 1 Samuel, I found, “He will guard the feet of His faithful servants…”  With this verse I trust that wearing the proper shoes in the right places at the right times will keep God close to my side.  

     Psalm 37 says, “The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.” Here again, by wearing the proper shoes with God by my side, I am far less likely to slip and fall. 

     Then there is Romans 10 which gives purpose to my feet. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  I simply must have on the right shoes to carry God’s news while being willing and able to “walk the distance.”