Truth is precious. I think of truth like a diamond. Truth, like a diamond, is beautiful in itself. A diamond is the hardest natural substance known to man. It cannot be crushed. Other stones can be crushed into sand and powder, but a diamond remains undamaged. Truth can be assaulted with falsehoods and false doctrines and remain standing without contrived explanations.
Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve its quality. A diamond is what it is, as is truth. Nothing can be added to truth to improve it. In fact, exaggeration of truth alters it from truth to a lie. Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve it. We can alter the diamond by cutting away bits of it to produce facets. The diamond is not altered by this chipping away. It remains a diamond. But now we have a facet to catch the light and make the diamond shine. We think we have improved the diamond. We've made the diamond a shiny thing. Now the diamond can be liked by more people and is more desirable to the eye. We do this with truth, as well. We chip away bits of the truth to make it more appealing to more people. Yes, it is still truth, but now we have changed it to become a faceted truth. When a diamond is cut and facets are formed, we don't see the diamond as well as we see the light reflecting off the facet. Just as a diamond, in it's natural state, is not as appealing to the eye as a cut diamond, truth in it's purest form, God's truth, can be hard to take and very hard to understand.
Finding diamonds, just like finding truth, is a difficult task. Diamonds are hidden deep in the earth. You need to know where to dig to find the diamond. Truths are something we seek. We need to learn where to look for it. We need to dig deep to find truth. If truths, like diamonds were lying around, everyone would find them. Searching for truth, like searching for diamonds can be a frustrating task and not every seeker is rewarded. Some may seek their entire lives and come up empty. They may think they are seeking in the right place, but they've wasted their time and efforts by looking where there is nothing to be found.
Not everyone can obtain a diamond. They are available to all, but they are costly. Not every person who wishes to have a diamond will get one. Some will find imitations and be content and stop seeking the real thing. Truth is available to all, but it is costly. We have to give up our ideas of what we wish would be. We have to give up our worldly desires. We have to become humble and remember we are dust. Our reward is the acceptance of truth. We cannot be content with a falsehood and say it is truth. We cannot be convinced that if we name it truth, this makes it so. A diamond, in it's uncut state, may not look like what you think a diamond ought to look like. Even though it doesn't look like what you think a diamond should look like, it is still a diamond. It is still a valuable diamond. Truth may not always look the way you think it should look, but authentic truth is incredibly valuable to have. Authentic truth, like authentic diamonds, are verifiable. We don't have to decide for ourselves, truth, like diamonds, will pass the test.
Jesus, as he was preparing his disciples for his departure from this world prays to God in John 17:13-19, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."
Seek truth. Look into God's word. Ask God to reveal his truth to you. Don't allow the evil one to cloud your vision and allow you to be satisfied with lies. Seek truth and when you find truth, treasure it and hold it dear, as you would a diamond.
275. Settling back into the old routine
276. Preparing for summer
277. Anticipation of a holiday weekend
278. A backyard cleared of downed trees
279. Giant shade trees (but not by my house)
I'm linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays
Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve its quality. A diamond is what it is, as is truth. Nothing can be added to truth to improve it. In fact, exaggeration of truth alters it from truth to a lie. Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve it. We can alter the diamond by cutting away bits of it to produce facets. The diamond is not altered by this chipping away. It remains a diamond. But now we have a facet to catch the light and make the diamond shine. We think we have improved the diamond. We've made the diamond a shiny thing. Now the diamond can be liked by more people and is more desirable to the eye. We do this with truth, as well. We chip away bits of the truth to make it more appealing to more people. Yes, it is still truth, but now we have changed it to become a faceted truth. When a diamond is cut and facets are formed, we don't see the diamond as well as we see the light reflecting off the facet. Just as a diamond, in it's natural state, is not as appealing to the eye as a cut diamond, truth in it's purest form, God's truth, can be hard to take and very hard to understand.
Finding diamonds, just like finding truth, is a difficult task. Diamonds are hidden deep in the earth. You need to know where to dig to find the diamond. Truths are something we seek. We need to learn where to look for it. We need to dig deep to find truth. If truths, like diamonds were lying around, everyone would find them. Searching for truth, like searching for diamonds can be a frustrating task and not every seeker is rewarded. Some may seek their entire lives and come up empty. They may think they are seeking in the right place, but they've wasted their time and efforts by looking where there is nothing to be found.
Not everyone can obtain a diamond. They are available to all, but they are costly. Not every person who wishes to have a diamond will get one. Some will find imitations and be content and stop seeking the real thing. Truth is available to all, but it is costly. We have to give up our ideas of what we wish would be. We have to give up our worldly desires. We have to become humble and remember we are dust. Our reward is the acceptance of truth. We cannot be content with a falsehood and say it is truth. We cannot be convinced that if we name it truth, this makes it so. A diamond, in it's uncut state, may not look like what you think a diamond ought to look like. Even though it doesn't look like what you think a diamond should look like, it is still a diamond. It is still a valuable diamond. Truth may not always look the way you think it should look, but authentic truth is incredibly valuable to have. Authentic truth, like authentic diamonds, are verifiable. We don't have to decide for ourselves, truth, like diamonds, will pass the test.
Jesus, as he was preparing his disciples for his departure from this world prays to God in John 17:13-19, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."
Seek truth. Look into God's word. Ask God to reveal his truth to you. Don't allow the evil one to cloud your vision and allow you to be satisfied with lies. Seek truth and when you find truth, treasure it and hold it dear, as you would a diamond.
275. Settling back into the old routine
276. Preparing for summer
277. Anticipation of a holiday weekend
278. A backyard cleared of downed trees
279. Giant shade trees (but not by my house)
I'm linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays
