Tell the Truth

From: firstlight@billriceranch.org

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Why is the truth so hard? Well, it is not so much that the truth is hard, b

Share Share Jeremiah 26:2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. Tell the Truth Why is the truth so hard? Well, it is not so much that the truth is hard, but that the truth doesn't move or bend. The truth is what it is. It is easy to diminish the truth in order to avoid trouble. Jeremiah is a man who could have stretched the truth, but God commanded him not to. It is a selfless act to tell the truth. It is selfish to stretch the truth for our own benefit. Jeremiah 26:2 says, "Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word." Here are five observations about the truth that God wanted Jeremiah to speak and about the truth that you should be speaking. The first observation is that you will never speak the truth if you define success by the willingness of others to heed it instead of your courage to speak it. Jeremiah's message was not warmly accepted by the people who heard it, but he was a success because he lived in obedience. We should want to convince and win people, but the truth is sometimes hard. I am not a success because I am accepted, but because I obey. The second observation is that truth restrained is something else altogether. God told Jeremiah to tell all the truth, not just some of it. Truth that is not complete or direct is not truth at all. This is not an alibi for being crude, ruthless, or cruel. This should be a reminder that it takes courage to say what is right. Thirdly, truth is not a threat to those who are committed to it. Jeremiah did suffer consequences for what he spoke, but those who wanted to hear and follow God would not have been threatened by the truth. Sometimes we say that the truth hurts, yet the thing that hurts the most is ignoring the truth. A fourth observation is that a man without love for others cannot effectively communicate the truth, but a man who loves only self won't even try. If Jeremiah didn't have a heart for other people, it would have been difficult to give this harsh message. But a man who is only thinking about himself won't give the truth at all. He will only say what he thinks it takes to benefit him. In the end, truth is not a consensus. It is not something about which we vote. Truth is as absolute as the God Who defines it. Tell the truth. Do it with God's grace, and remember that telling the truth is a selfless act. Prayer Requests: -Meetings this week in Harned, KY; Otwell, IN; Silver Springs, FL; and Pensacola, FL Enjoy more devotionals, sermon audio, and articles on our website! Read Past Devotionals This message was sent by firstlight@billriceranch.org Bill Rice Ranch 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road, Murfreesboro