Enduring Truth

Good morning!

Our church's college Bible study meets every 2 weeks, every other Monday night, in our home. Tomorrow night, we will be starting a new study, which will carry us through the remainder of the academic year.  It is called "The Truth Project", and is produced by the folks at Focus on the Family. If you are reading this on or a few weeks after the initial date of publication, I would appreciate your prayers for us as we enter this study, that the Holy Spirit will transform lives.

One of the chief aims of the study is that each of us, leaders included, will gain a truer picture of who God is and that that understanding will transform our lives.

I was reminded of the centrality of truth, in the ongoing cosmic battle between good and evil, as I read Psalm 100 this morning.  I'll reproduce it here in its entirety, because it is very short.

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

2 

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Since it entered into the heart of Satan to rebel against God, there has been a cosmic battle between truth and lies.  When man was created, he became the nexus of this struggle.  We see the apex of this battle played out in the life and ministry of Jesus, who said when before Pilate,

"For this purpose I have come into the world - -   to testify to the truth.  And, everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."  

John 18:37

Jesus went on to win a world-changing victory with his finished work on the cross and in His resurrection.  This epic, cosmic battle will continue, the Bible says, until God puts all Jesus Christ's adversaries (including the Devil, especially him) under Jesus' feet.  (Psalm 110:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:25)

Of David. A psalm. The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Do you remember what Jesus called Satan, as recorded in John 8:44?  The Father of Lies.  Truth versus falsehood:  the battle can be summed up as this.

Depending on your perspective, I am an old person.  It's intriguing to me that, generation after generation, the elders have lamented, "Oh young people today!  The world is going to Hell in a handbasket!"  In other words, truth is being killed!  We are headed for ruin!  This attitude defies the Word of God.  We can be comforted by God's promise that His truth will endure.

We may not easily spot it.  It may go "underground" in some localities for a while.  But, it will not be extinguished!  We may even look at the next generation of our family members and moan and groan over their deception.  But, God says, "His truth endures to all generations."

What a precious promise!  He cannot be defeated.  He will reign victorious.  In our eternal state, His beloved (we!) will see our Savior crush the head of the Serpent (Genesis 3:19).  And then, this is the most amazing part:  we will reign with Jesus, forever and ever.  "I.just.cannot.even.", as the young mamas say.

I am often criticized for my "blind belief" in one, constant Truth.  But, this passage in Psalm 100:5, and others, give me such peace.  I know that what I believe is really real.  There is nothing better, nothing higher, than the goodness, mercy and truth of the everlasting God.  Let's worship Him today!

Dear Lord, it is such a pleasure to praise You joyfully, to enter into Your presence with thankfulness, to serve You gladly.  Thank you for being so constant, so faithful, for being the anchor for our souls, as we are tossed around on the seas of this world and its error.  You are our safe haven, and we will trust in You.  In Jesus' name, amen.