Day 30 Focus: Speak the Truth.
(Tuesday)
Level 1: (5 Minutes) As you breathe deeply today, ask yourself what truths do you hold sacred?
Level 2: (10 minutes) Do Level 1. After Reading the scripture adaptation, highlight what words from this scripture inspire you.
Adapted from Psalm 119:41-48. May Your loving kindness come to me, Oh Lord. I claim Your salvation according to Your promise; give me the right answer to anyone who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word. And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I put my hope in Your wisdom and direction. Help me to keep Your law in my heart continually, forever and ever. I know I walk at liberty when I seek Your will. I speak Your truths before leaders and will not be ashamed. I delight in Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes. I lift up my hands to You in praise. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Level 3: (15 minutes) After pausing to breathe and reading the Scripture prayer, take 5 minutes to write about what truths you hold dear.
Level 4: (30-60 minutes) The word “truth” is difficult at times—I think of witnesses who are called to testify after an accident. Eyewitnesses can see the same accident and have entirely different recollections. So while I do believe there is “absolute truth,” I must admit, we need to be careful how “certain” we are about our facts. Many “truths” we were taught in the past have been disputed. Just Google “truths that are no longer true,” and you will get an interesting list. Now I believe that God’s truths do not change—however, our ability to understand God’s truths deepens. Richard Rohr describes how everything in creation is made in the image and likeness of God—we read that in the book of Genesis. Rohr goes on to say—the image of God is perfect in each of us, but the likeness to God is always a work in process. Some people have more “likeness” than others. So the words in this scripture that stand out to me are “Help me to keep Your law in my heart continually, forever and ever.” In order to move toward a deeper likeness to God we need to have a teachable heart. We need to know we still have much to learn. As we age, we see how much we honestly do not know rather than how much we do know. Richard Dawkins, one of the more intelligent human beings to have ever lived describes absolute knowledge as “knowing the mind of God.” He says it is his metaphor because he did not believe in God. However, I think this is what the Apostle Paul was seeking in Romans 12.2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God’s law is the great commandment to love. The truth is that we were created to love, honor, and serve God with all of our being. If God’s law sits in our heart we will be able to see the image and likeness of God in all of creation.