appearances

Saturday, June 13, 2020 (7:41 a.m.)

Blessed God,

You are so good and I am grateful. Truly grateful.

You afforded me a conversation yesterday. A lengthy, tear-filled heart to heart. And again You bless me with Your Truth.

Father, bless You. Praise You!

I am here this morning thanking You once more for Your Word. Your Truth. And the privilege of coming to You with every single aspect of our beings.

Lord, You are Truth. Your Word is Truth. You are love. And You want us to share Your love. And Truth.

Oh, look! An e-article by John Piper entitled “Truth and Love”. Lord, how I thank You for the way You lead and guide me.

(12:15 p.m.)

Time away for talking. Eating. Taking care of some business. And back. With You. Where I so earnestly belong.

Father God, I love You. And still I thank You.

I came here originally to talk about appearances (John 7:24). And how far astray keeping them up can ultimately lead us.

You brought me straight back to Your Truth and Love. Teaching that first “Truth aims at love.” Citing 1 Timothy 1:5, with the added note that “instruction is not the goal, love is.” And secondly, “Love aims at truth.”

Father, how perfectly intertwined are Your are Truth and Love. “1 Corinthians 13:6. Love is glad when truth is spoken. Therefore love aims at truth. It supports truth.”

In 2 Corinthians 2:4 we are shown “an example of how love aims at truth. Paul is filled with love and it compels him to write a letter that was hard, and caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be said. So love said it. Love speaks the truth personally and doctrinally.”

Third we learn, “Love shapes how to speak the truth.” Ephesians 4:15 is referenced as we are directed to 2 Timothy 2:24-25. Reminding us that “love shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and gentle.

Oh most blessed, perfect God how we depend on Your Truth and Love. You know Your best for each of us. How I call on Your most holy name to teach us to be so much more concerned with Truth and Love over appearances every time.

The fourth and final point of this teaching asserts “Truth shapes how to show love.” Acknowledging that “it is not always obvious which acts are loving” we are referred to 1 John 5:2. Here the apostle used other words to clarify that “love cannot be cut loose from the truth of God’s will.”

It is to Your will we turn Blessed God. Joining in this pastor’s prayer that You will cause Your ‘love and truth to abound and mingle in us in all these ways for the glory of Your truth-filled love and love-filled truth.’

We love You Father. We need You. And we ask Your presence in helping us drop our concerns about appearances and focus on Your Truth and Love. Thank You Father. We love You. Amen.

(519 words ~ 1:21 p.m.)