“I was over at one of our new neighbor’s last night,” Stan commented one morning while we waited for Ricky to bring our breakfast, “and I saw something most impressive, but I heard something even more so.”
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“I was in my neighbor’s den,” Stan replied, “and I saw a most impressive number of diplomas and certificates on the wall. I’ve never seen a single person have that many.”
“Diplomas and certificates for what?” I asked.
“Just about everything. When I asked my neighbor about them, he said that throughout his life he has had a love of learning that has led him to pursue a life-time of gaining knowledge. Thus, all of the pieces of paper on the wall!”
“But,” Stan added, “my neighbor went on to tell me how God had led him to pursue some knowledge that changed forever his life for both sides of eternity.”
“How?”
“He told me that at one point in his life,” Stan replied, “he was living in a different town. There he had a Christian neighbor who told him about his faith and asked him if he knew much about the Bible.”
“Did he know much about it?”
“Apparently not,” Stan replied. “And he was challenged. His reaction was that because he didn’t know much or anything about the Bible, he would study it to be able to respond to his neighbor when he talked about it.”
“Like to be able to refute the Bible?”
“That’s what he said,” Stan replied. “And he also said that something unexpected happened.”
“What?”
“He came to know true knowledge,” Stan replied.
“True knowledge? In what way?”
“Just like the apostle Paul wrote about to his friend Timothy in his second letter to him,” Stan said, “where Paul wrote about people who are always learning, but not able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
“Knowledge of the truth,” I repeated. “Didn’t Jesus say something about that He is the truth?”
“He certainly did,” Stan replied. “He also said that eternal life is knowing Him and God the Father.”
“So,” I said, “if Jesus is the truth and a person pursues knowing Him, that person will gain knowledge of the truth. Is that it?”
“Bingo and Amen,” Stan replied with a smile.
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Bible verses to consider:
. . . always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7.
Jesus said to him, “I am the . . . truth . . . . John 14:6.
Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who believed in Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.
Pilate said to Him (Jesus), “What is truth?” John 18:38.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving your Son, who is the truth, so that all who believe in Him can have life eternally with you when it’s time. Thank you for those people you brought into my life to bring that truth to me, and to bring me to that truth. Thank you, too, that I can know you, Jesus, and the truth in an ever-deepening relationship with you on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I do not present to others the truth of all you have available for each person who believes. Please forgive my failure to do so. Please help me in following every step of your lead so I not only know you as fully as possible, but that I make the knowledge of truth available to every person you bring before me. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus who is the truth. Amen.
Think on this: Have you come to accept the truth of God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him when it’s time? If no, why? What’s in the way? If you have accepted that truth and have the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in pursuing all of the truth God has for you on this side of eternity? And how are you doing in sharing that truth with others so they will know? If you sense changes may be needed, how are those changes going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 