Are We Staying In The Truth?

Recently, I was listening to an interview with my fellow writers at Marked Ministry magazine. Our team editor, Sarah Komisky was interviewing writer, Iain Dick on his recent multi-part articles on “Purity”. So far, Iain has released two of four articles on “Purity” (You can check out his most recent article here as our team chose to “Reflect on Purity” for the March issue).

As I listened to our team members discuss purity in this interview, Iain brought up a great point. He reflected on how at one time he had been more invested in listening and reading about God from authors and podcasts over actually reading God’s Word directly from the Bible.

Hearing him say those words, I could completely relate. There have been plenty of times where I’ve been listening to podcasts or reading articles about God over actually diving into the Word. It’s not that reading Christian books or listening to Christian podcasts are bad investments of our time, but we do need to reflect on the frequency we’re in God’s Word. We can only know the truth and have it in our hearts if we’re actively staying in God’s Word.

I think in our culture it’s easy to get caught up with the latest Christian book or popular Christian podcast, and many of those are helpful. But we have to know God’s truth to weigh what these podcasts, articles, and books are saying. We can’t blindly trust what someone says just because he or she claims to be a Christian. Most recently, we have seen some claimed “Christian” authors and podcasts that haven’t aligned with God’s Word and have led some astray in the faith. 

With that, we also have to be invested in solid Christ-centered friendships and mentor relationships to direct us back to the truth in the Bible. It’s important to have pastors and leaders of the church who know the Word of God and are willing to sit with you or correspond to share the truth and answer questions. I’m thankful that my pastors are familiar with studying the original Greek and Hebrew of the Bible to really show the full context of a verse. When I have questions, I turn to my pastors and mentors to answer those questions.

As I reflect on how often I’m in God’s Word, I also want to challenge you. Are you staying in God’s Word daily? Are you setting your heart and mind on the Word of God throughout your day? When was the last time you memorized a verse? When was the last time you just sat with God and prayed? When was the last time you opened your Bible?

If we love God and trust Him as the source of all truth, we need to continually turn over our hearts and minds to Him. Lord, help us to turn to you for true guidance and truth on this day and in all the days ahead of us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

• Sarah Komisky and Iain Dick’s Interview on “Reflecting on Purity” (There’s some tech glitches in the beginning, but it’s worth the listen!)
• Iain Dick’s Part 2 article “Pure and Simple”
• My recent article with Marked Ministry, “Craving to Be Known”

Do You Want to Join a Challenge for 2022?

I’m reading/listening to the Bible in 90 days with the Help of the Bible Project. The videos with this plan give an overall picture of what’s happening before you start the reading. This plan has been so helpful and really given me a new perspective on the Bible. I have done a Bible-in-a-Year Plan which I also recommend, but this 90-day plan has allowed me to see the larger picture without diving in too deep. It’s been a great motivator for me to stay in God’s Word each day.

Check out the plan here: Every Word- A Reader’s 90 Day Guide to the Bible

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash