TISHRI 20
On What is True
“…FOCUS your thoughts on what is TRUE
…”
(Phi 4:8 CJB, emphasis mine)
Years ago, as a
young child in grade school, I remember a teacher playing a game with us, the
purpose being to teach is the use of synonyms and antonyms. She would give us a word, and we would have
to first, give a word in reply meaning the same thing, and then second, give
another word opposite in meaning to the original word. It was great fun, and a terrific learning
experience that has stayed with me through the years. For example, the opposite of light is
darkness, good is bad, cold is hot. And
the opposite of what is ‘true’ is obviously a lie, or something that is false.
The definition of
‘true’ that we find listed is “being in accordance with the actual state or
conditions; conforming to reality or fact; not false; exact; precise; accurate
or correct”[1]. Noah Webster goes one step further with his
definition: “Honest; not
fraudulent; Not false or pretended; real; as, Christ was the true Messiah.”[2]
We can safely say that a thought life out of
control is dangerous. Those of us that
have chosen to walk this walk called Torah must now make the choice to rein in
our wandering minds, and bring them under control – His control. And first and
foremost, we are to meditate on those things that are true, that are the truth.
“The sum of Your word
is TRUTH, And all Your righteous right-rulings are forever.” (Ps 119:160 ISR, emphasis mine)
Why do we need to
focus on the truth? Because of who our
adversaries are, beginning with haSatan,
and including our own yetzer hara,
our carnal, selfish, earthly inclination.
Messiah spoke clearly in John 8:44, telling us that our adversaries are
liars, specifically haSatan, for
everything he says is an absolute lie, and there is no truth in him. It would stand to reason, then, that we must
know the truth in order to not be deceived and taken in by this enemy.
“יהושע said to him, “I am the Way, and
THE TRUTH, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 ISR, emphasis mine)
“If you stay in My
Word, you are truly My taught ones, and you shall KNOW
the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32, ISR, emphasis mine)
©2018
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