Firm Footing
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good reputation Philippians 4:8
True – True is not correct. I don’t mean that this isn’t the right translation. It is. The Greek word, alethia, means “true.” But the Greek idea of true is not what Paul has in mind. The Greek idea of true is about being correct. True for the Greek culture meant having the right answer, being without error, thinking correctly. Alethia is ultimately a cognitive term. It’s about what happens in your mind. Paul might be using this Greek word, but he is not telling us to think correctly. Paul is Jewish. His background for thought formation is Hebrew and in Hebrew, the word for true is not about being correct. It’s about being reliable. The word in Hebrew is ‘emeth It means faithful, trustworthy and reliable. God is true in this sense. I can count on Him. He never lies. He never does what is unfaithful or unreliable. What God says He will do, He does. Paul encourages me to pursue faithfulness, reliability and fidelity. These characteristics emulate God Himself. They last!
It’s a very good thing that God views truth as ‘emeth, not alethia. Of course, God is also correct. Unlike us, He always thinks accurately. But thoughts are not actions, and God is a God who acts. His truthfulness is demonstrated in His actions. He is utterly reliable. What this means is that I must never doubt what God says. I am quite sure we all agree on this. But we may not have reflected on the implications.
When God says that He does not desire that any should perish, we can count on that. God will do everything possible to bring all His creation (including us) back into harmony with Him. Of course, sometimes that means that God will chastise us. Sometimes He makes life extremely difficult in order to turn our attention to Him. We can count on that too. We can also count on God’s warning about the wrath to come for those who continually resist Him. God’s statements about punishment are also true. They will reliably come to pass. It might not be comforting to consider this implication of the Hebrew idea of truth, but the discomfort is important. There is very good reason the fear Him. This too is true.
When God says that He will restrain temptation in our lives so that whatever we face will always provide a way of escape, He means it. When He says that He will never abandon us, He speaks the truth. When He says that our sins are forgiven and cast far from us, we can count on this. When He says that His love for us exceeds all of our imagination about its depth, we can stand on that promise. God’s Word is true. It is firm footing. It is rock under our feet. There is no better place to stand than on His revelation. It too will last.
So, think about these things. You can count on them – forever.
Topical Index: true, alethia, ‘emeth, reliable, faithful, trustworthy, Philippians 4:8
This is a very deep concept for me. Another face of “true ” is proper alignment like a column upon which an building rests. If that column is not in alignment it is made “true” by the inspecting engineer so that all the columns built onto it will be able to bear the weight and keep the building upright.
Dear Skip,
I want to personally thank you for your faithfulness in the daily devotions. They have been a great blessing to me over this last year. Also I want to encourage you that your labor of love has so impacting me that for this last year I too have been putting out a daily devotion on our churches website. After being with you over a year ago in Evansville, I came home and felt challenged by the LORD to be disciplined in this area of my life. March 13, 2009 was my one year anniversary. We have over 10,000 hits a month on our website and I have spoken with people from all over who have read the devotions. This has been the most rewarding year of my life. Thank you again for your diligence and your love for the Word of God. It is making a difference!
Blessings, Alan
This is my first “Today’s Word” and I am looking forward to reading this each morning. Grace and Peace, Jay C.
Such wonderful truths written from the scriptures above. “——– we can stand on that promise.”— I want to focus on that phrase above. In my older years, God often permits me to reflect on my 75& 3/4 years of the past, and see what He has done for me, my 80 year old husband, and numerous desecantants, other relatives and friends.
Yesterday, a college friend called. She had been adopted as an infant by an older couple, who died many years ago. Her struggle with wondering who her real parents were, why they gave her up, etc., was for years a great burden and hurt in her life. We have continued to be close in the Spirit through the years. She has experienced the loss of a grandson, the death of two husbands- during the months before her first husband’s death, they stayed in our Houston home, near the Medical Center where he was in and out of M.D. Anderson. She lived in numerous places and then returned to where her parents had last lived, and left them with some acreage. We talk about once or twice a year. So yesterday it was a long visit, on ours lives and of the children, grands, & now greats.—- But when we summed up God’s blessings to us, it was how God was so faithful in every aspect of all those years–and when we could depend on nothing else, we could trust: rely, believe, adhere to God the Father, through Jesus His Son, and brought to us through the Holy Spirit. —
The old hymns we both had sung in different places as children, still are valid: “Standing on the promises of Christ my King, Thro’ eternal ages let his praises ring:Glory in the hightest, I will shout and sing.”——–
Did I fail to mention, that the Lord helped my friend, when she was about 50 years old, find her birth mother after a long search, & learn who she was and why she adopted her baby.
Briefly:
—At 16, the young birth mom to be, was selling homemade candy door to door in her own neighborhood, an older man asked her to step inside while he got some money.—– devastion, devastion——– , but through the years God had his hand on that baby girl, the Lord then completed the healing he had started by her being adopted in a Christian home. ( the natural birth mother is another story).
My friend today is a witness to God’s faithfulness in so many areas, and not a public figure in anyway, she has touched life after life, one on one, for the love of God—always remembering, along with me, and many others—
Yes, Yes, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living word of God I shall prevail.”– written by R. Kelso Carter, 1886– Broadman Hymn 1977—-
Thanks, Skip….I needed this affirmation today…..When He says that He will never abandon us, He speaks the truth.
Fear is rising up in me as I start my 5th month of unemployment and my savings is about gone. His Word I must cling to and cling to Him and every promise of His Word will come to pass in my life.
Kelly
Thanks for joining us, Jay. I am sure you will be blessed by so many people around the globe sharing their insights and encouragement.
Skip
Nice to hear from you, Alan. I hope I see you at the Genesis class in Houston in May.
Skip
This is definitely great writing.
When I read this early this morning, it made me think of the “theophany” in King Lear.
When King Lear is reconciled with his daughter, Cordelia.
It got me off to a great start this morning.
And it was a pleasure to read again this afternoon; over and over again.