Truth for the Troubled

When I went to school, I naively thought the idea was simply to memorize many facts for exam time. Little did I realize that an isolated fact is like a stray piece of a puzzle. It’s an object, an article, a fragment of information, a bit of trivia. Truth, on the other hand, is all about meaning. To put it another way, discerning truth is a matter of interpreting the facts.

Facts are obviously an important part of education and learning, but may lack meaning. Truth is more about the application of those facts. Our goal as parents is to have our children love learning and discover truth that will help them navigate life with purpose.

The fact is this: truth has been more impactful in my life than the facts I learned in school. Truth has guided me in a way that facts never could.

As a professional, I desire the people I work with to discover principles that can guide them in their careers. In most fields of work today, “continuing education” is required because we are not designed to stop learning. Facts can change but truth is constant and becomes the foundation for our lives.

Life can be very difficult at times when we examine the fact of a particular situation that is facing us. We need truth to guide us through these times. I was reminded this past week about how challenging it can be for a person to find direction in life; it can truly be a struggle. Here is some wisdom and advice that has helped me:

• Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. (Advice from Proverbs 4:25-25 HCSB)
• God is capable of “making my footsteps firm” (Psalms 40:2) giving us a sense of security for the way forward.
• God is able to establish us (Psm. 37:23) and keep our feet from slipping (Psm. 66:9).
• When we find ourselves in a dark place, in the midst of despair, God can rescue us if we cry for help (Psm. 30: 2,3).
• Sometimes God doesn’t seem to hear us or speak to us and we “become like those who go down to the pit” (Psm. 28:1 NASB). We need communication with God or we can shift to a dark place (down to the pit). There is a sense of despair among this group because they see themselves “as good as dead and completely helpless” (Psm. 88:4 CEV). We are not actually without strength but are made to feel like we have no strength, then we begin to believe we have no strength.
• We need to pray: “Answer me quickly … or I will become like those who go down” into that dark place (Psm. 143:7 NASB).
• When it seems there is no one who can help us out of the pit (a dark place), we can still pray: “Don’t stay far off when I am in trouble with no one to help me” (Psm. 22:11 CEV).
• Remember, “he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help” (Psm. 72:12 NIV).

When we isolate and focus only on the burdensome facts surrounding a situation in life it can lead us to a place of despair. The truth is we have a God who cares even when there seems to be nothing but darkness. The truth of God’s Word gives hope that light can shine in the midst of any darkness and deliver even when no one else can!

Have you ever or are you now in a dark place? Have you ever felt disconnected from God, like He is not hearing your prayers and you are not hearing his voice?