Tell Yourself the Truth

Meditations for Ragamuffins 

March 12, 2024

Tell Yourself the Truth

Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.

When you search for me, you will find me;

if you seek me with all your heart,

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NRSV)

Imagine that when you go to God in prayer, your Abba not only hears you, He also speaks to you! What does He say to you? Far too many of us think we would hear some sort of judgment: repent, straighten-up, I’m losing my patience with you, I’m fed up with you, I wish I’d never saved you!

In contrast to such thoughts, if you believe what the Bible reveals about the character of God, especially as His character is revealed in Christ Jesus, you will hear your Abba saying, “I love you, I’m so happy you are my child.”

As we come to God by faith in Jesus, we realize the world has been telling us a pack of lies about who we are, who God is and what the world is like. We need to also realize that it is not just a generic ‘world’ that is telling us lies; we are telling ourselves lies. Most of the lies we tell ourselves are simply a matter of repeating lies first told to us by parents, teachers, family members and others who played significant roles in our lives. These life messages may have been somewhat well-intentioned, perhaps misguided efforts to motivate or provide needed discipline. Nevertheless, a lie is a lie.

Our greatest needs are to be loved, accepted and to have a healthy sense of self-worth. God loves you with an everlasting love. God has adopted you into His family, and He knows you as His beloved child. He wants you to know Him as your Abba. God has destined you to live eternally with Him. This is the truth.

My Takeaway: As we journey to make our life in Christ our way of life, let’s make it our purpose to often rehearse the truth of who we are in Christ. Let’s not tell ourselves lies; let’s tell ourselves the truth! 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.