HOW CAN WE KNOW—THE TRUTH?
How can we know—THE TRUTH?
How can we really know what is TRUSTWORTHY & CORRECT?
- From Whom can we seek our INSIGHT?
- From mankind?
- From the world in which we live?
- From the season and time in which we live?
HOW—CAN WE KNOW?
WHOM—CAN WE TRUST?
Wednesday evening at church, we were studying the children of Israel and their dependence upon God for their protection from the pursuing Egyptian army, & their reliance upon God, & their faith as they were hemmed in on four sides with nowhere to go.
- A mountain on the left.
- A mountain on the right.
- An angry Pharoah behind them & his army of 600 “finest” chariots & all the other chariots, & the number of men who would have ridden in the chariots, & the foot soldiers, & the horsemen.
- A raging Red Sea in front of them.
I could SEE the image in my mind; I was right there, enthralled in the details of the math word problem. Then Larry (our Bible study leader, a mathematician) began to speak about the wall of chariots pursing the Israelites. He asked: How wide would the line of chariots have been in relation to the width and length of our sanctuary where we were sitting. Immediately, I thought, “Oh my, I think I will just allow all the mathematicians in the room the opportunity to “work out” this math equation while I “the lover of words and everything literature” concentrate on the details of the narrative. Then (I thought), I will just GUESS how many chariots wide would there have been pursuing the Israelites (in relation to the width and length of our sanctuary).
- WHY WASTE TIME ON MATH WHEN WE CAN JUST GUESS THE ANSWER!
- WHY WASTE TIME ON MATH WHEN WE CAN JUST FOCUS INSTEAD ON THE IMPORTANT DETAILS—THE SCENE & THE PEOPLE INVOLVED!
In the Word of God, Timothy, who was a preacher of the Word, was given these words:
“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.” (1 Timothy 4: 9 NASB 2020)
- What does Timothy mean by “IT” when we read, “IT—“is a trustworthy statement”?
- What does Timothy mean by “IT is—“deserving full acceptance”?
- So, do we believe “IT” (the Word of God) just because the preacher says it is true?
- Or should there be some other reason to KNOW that we KNOW that we KNOW—THE TRUTH?
- And, if so, then what reason or from Whom are we given—THE TRUTH?
I read how the Israelites recited a psalm as they ascended the mountain, climbing step-by-step up the mountainside as they made their annual trek to the temple of God. As they “hiked” up the mountain, I read how the children of Israel recited these words:
“I will raise my eyes to the mountains,
From where will my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who watches over you will not slumber.
Behold, He who watches over Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your protector;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not beat down on you by day.
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.”
(Psalm 121: 1-8 NASB 2020)
- Did we catch the answer?
- Did we see from Whom we are given—THE TRUTH?
- Did we read from Whom we are given—INSIGHT?
“The LORD”
- Did we see it?
Maybe we should pause right here and go back to read (again) Psalm 121 so we can see the “answer” & so we won’t need to “guess” at the answer.
- How can we know the TRUTH?
- How can we really know Who is TRUSTWORTHY & CORRECT?
- From Whom can we seek our INSIGHT?
- HOW—CAN WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW?
- IN WHOM—CAN WE (REALLY) TRUST?
“The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.”
(Psalm 121: 8 NASB 2020)
How long do WE wish to live?
Yes, how long?
How many days do WE wish to see the sun rise as it separates the dark from the day?
Yes, how many?
I am no mathematician; just ask my husband; just ask my daughters; just ask my sisters and brothers; just ask my best friend and her husband; and really, you could just ask about—anyone! Truly, MATH is NOT my best quality. Usually, I like to guess, or take a moment to calculate how “I think” the math problem should go, and then give “IT,” the answer, my best guess.
20,455
That’s my best guess.
That’s how many days I have lived. . . (I think).
So, on this day of my earthly existence, I find myself asking:
- From Whom can we seek our INSIGHT?
- HOW—CAN WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW?
- IN WHOM—CAN WE (REALLY) TRUST?
- How can we know the TRUTH?
- How can we really know WHO IS TRUSTWORTHY & CORRECT?
- HOW LONG DO WE HOPE TO LIVE & HOW LONG WILL WE REALLY EXIST BEYOND THIS EARTHLY LIFE?
“The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.”
(Psalm 121: 8 NASB 2020)
There is no “guessing” required to REALLY KNOW the TRUTH!
The Word of God speaks the TRUTH!
GOD HIMSELF tells us so!
The Holy Spirit walks with us throughout our earthly days once we belong to GOD!
The LORD HIMSELF guards us as we go out and as we come in.
Our SAVIOR & REDEEMER does this from this day and forevermore!
HOW CAN WE KNOW—THE TRUTH?
It’s such an easy answer & no “guessing” is required.
IN WHOM—CAN WE TRUST?
Keith & Kristyn Getty & Michael W. Smith sing a melody that speaks of the truth we find within the Bible. Listen today to “Christ Our Hope in Life And Death.”
“The LORD [HE] will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time and forever.”
(Psalm 121: 8 NASB 2020)
- How can we really know WHO is TRUSTWORTHY & CORRECT?
- From Whom can we seek our INSIGHT?
“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.
For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.
Prescribe and teach these things.”
(1 Timothy 4: 9-11 NASB 2020)