The Ten Commandments: Words of Truth

Each morning I read Devotions for Men on the Go by Steven Arterburn and Bill Ferrel. Today's devotion is especially relevant in light of the recent Supreme Court decisions. The following entry is the devotion, in its entirety. There is nothing for me to add. Enjoy.

To Read: John 17:17-26

There is a cleansing quality to truth. Those who are willing let it cleanse their souls, and they find freedom and consistency in their lives.

People look everywhere for truth. They set out on what they consider the pursuit for truth, thinking that it is somehow randomly available throughout the universe. In contrast, Jesus says to God the Father, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17, NIV)

In his New York Times best seller The Gifts of the Jews, Thomas Cahill wrote:

[The Ten Commandments] require no justification, nor can they be argued away. They are not dependent upon circumstances, nor may they be set aside because of special considerations. They are not propositions for debate. They are not suggestions. They are not even (as a recent book would have us imagine in the jargon of our day) "ten challenges."

They are exactly what they seem to be - and there is no getting around them or (to be more spatially precise) out from under them. But the only thing new about them is their articulation at this moment amid the terrifying fires of Sinai. They have been received by billions as reasonable, necessary, even unalterable because they are written on human hearts and always have been. They were always there in the inner core of the human person - in the deep silence that each of us carries within. They needed only to be spoken aloud.

Indeed, God's truth is not open for debate, and it is not something we can rationalize or negotiate. There is only one place you will find ultimate truth, and that's in the pages of God's written Word, the Bible.

Jesus, cleanse my life with your truth.

Have You Met Cecil?

It can be devastating when someone we admire and respect uses words and attitudes, and just enough scripture to crush our spirit. That isn't necessarily their intent. Actually, the intent is to reveal the truth, at least the truth according to that person.

Braden came home telling us of a conversation he had with someone that he cares for very deeply. "Cecil" (which is not the real name of this person, but was chosen because it means "blind") told Braden that something his church does was wrong and that it said so in the Bible. I asked him what he thought about that. He replied that this person really didn't know. I also asked him if he thought that this statement was true. "No, because it's praising God," he said. I reminded him of what is in the Bible, in I Timothy 4:12. "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

Many of us have a Cecil or two in our lives. They think they are doing us a favor by pointing out what they truly believe are weaknesses of our faith. Sometimes it is hard not to be discouraged by such people, especially when they have been an integral part of our lives. I have found it best not to argue, but to live by example...in what I teach my children, in the way I live my life, in the way I love, in my faith, and in my purity. Cecil sees the fruit of this, I'm sure.

Father, open the eyes of the Cecil's in our lives. Let them see the real you. Help them to see past the rules and be buried in Your grace. And thank you for my little Timothy.