Morning by Morning, July 19 - "Love the Truth"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my heart and lead me in Your ways -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. ...
"The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, and lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
Come, Holy Spirit. Give me a love for the truth. You are "the Spirit of truth" who "comes (to) guide (me) into all the truth" and "glorify (Jesus)" (John 16:13).
In these days and the days to come, just knowing the truth will not be enough. "Even the demons believe -- and shudder" (James 2:19). No, we need more. We need to "lovethe truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:10). We need to love the truth, just as a wise person loves correction and discipline (Proverbs 13:1). That's our antidote to the power of deception -- a lovefor the truth.
Loving truth is different from loving what we want to hear, loving what fits our feelings, or loving what we think is right despite what You say is right. And You've already warned us that we will be tempted to give into the pressures of our world to turn from the truth in the times to come: "For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
"The truth" is not simply a statement of faith or mental assent to accurate doctrine. The truth is a Person. You are the Truth. You are "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (John 15:6). You are the One we need to love. Loving You, loving the One who is Truth, is the Way You've provided to lead us through the confusion, deception, and temptation to compromise to come.
You said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, because He abides with you, and He will be in you" (John 14:15-17).
As I grow in my love for You, I grow in my love for Truth. May my love for You, my love for Truth, keep me from being deceived in these days to come -- even by "the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, and lying wonders, and every kind of wicked deception." In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you embrace by faith the fullness of life our Father has for you, forgiven and free from bondage and sin, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, I'm excited to be Preaching in Pakistan again this Friday Night (Pakistan Time) in a open-air evangelistic meeting through our Skype Internet Ministry. Each month, I will be preaching in different villages around Lahore, Pakistan in the Punjab Region. Please keep us in prayer for salvation, healing, deliverance, and revival in the mighty name of Jesus!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
