ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 4

“Pay close attention to what you hear.
The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—
and you will receive even more.
To those who listen to my teaching more understanding will be given.
But for those who are not listening,
even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them”
(Mark 4:24, 25 NLT).

Isn’t it amazing how much the Bible says about truth? Well, it shouldn’t be amazing because God is Truth.

1. TRUTH GIRDERS

Ephesians 6:14: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” When speaking about the armor, God begins with truth. And He starts at the loins! Many translations of the Bible translate it: “The belt of truth buckled around your waist.” However, when I check this Scripture in the Strong’s Concordance, I see that the original word is “loins,” not waist. There is no mention of waist! It is the Greek word osphus and literally means “the loins, procreative power.” We don’t have procreative power in our waists.

In Bible days, men often wore long robes and when they went into battle or began hard work, they tucked up their robes in their belts so their clothes did not impede their actions. And of course, a garment around the loins must be held up with a belt around the waist. I can see where they get that. But why do they eliminate the word “loins” altogether? I can’t see what benefit there is in having truth around your waist!

Can you imagine a warrior going out to war with only a belt? No, he wore protective covering around his loins. His strength and procreative power were in his loins and he guarded them well.

However, there is a powerful truth in this Scripture, and I think this must be why God starts with the loins. The devil has deceived God’s people regarding their loins more than any other area. He has convinced men to stop their procreative power through vasectomies and child-bearing women to stop childbearing through tubal ligation and other birth control methods so readily available today.

The devil, who hates every plan of God, has successfully hindered God’s very first commandment “to be fruitful.” He is the deceiver who comes to “steal, kill and destroy” and one of his favorite ways is through birth control, sterilization, and abortion. God is the giver of life, but Satan is the eliminator of life.

Do you see how God wants us to have the amour of truth around our loins? And can you believe how many translations have missed this?

2. TRUTH GUSHERS

Am I getting carried away? No, I’m giving it to you straight from God’s word. David pours out his heart in Psalm 145:7 saying: “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.” The Hebrew word naba is used for “abundantly utter” and it means “to gush forth, belch out, to flow, to pour out, to send forth.”

Have you been excited and enriched as you receive revelation of truth from God’s Word? Your heart is overwhelmed. Sometimes I’ve wanted to get upon my chair and raise my hands to God in worship. This Scripture informs us that we are not “over the top” and “super-spiritual” when we are so full that we can’t wait to share God’s truth to others. This should be natural for those who seek and live in truth.

Proverbs 18:4 says: “The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing (naba) brook.” When we are filled with the wisdom of God’s truth, it will flow from our lips.

3. TRUTH HEARERS

It’s so easy to hear and yet not hear isn’t it? To be grounded and rooted in truth we must first hear. No wonder Jesus constantly said: “He that ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15; 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; 7:16; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9; and 22:17). We must listen not only with our outer ears but our inner ears. I love the line of the hymn that says: “Hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine.”

Jesus also said: “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

4. TRUTH HEEDERS

Deuteronomy 11;16: “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.”

Psalm 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a  young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”

5. TRUTH INCLINERS

Psalm 78:1: “Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4:20).

Psalm 119:36: “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.”

Psalm 119:112: “I have inclined mine heart to perform they statues always, even unto the end.”

The word incline means “to stretch out, to extend, bow down.” It’s not enough to casually listen to truth. We must stretch out our spiritual ears to hear. Do you try to do this? This is how we get truth right down into our very beings.

 

PRAYER:

“Dear God, I want to be one who hears your truth. I want to keep my ears listening close to Your voice instead of the voices of this world. Please keep my in Your truth. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

“I don't want to miss one word You speak
'Cause everything You say is life to me!”
~ Chris McClarney

 

FURTHER STUDY

No. 20: TRUTH HEARERS

Deuteronomy 6:4 (Mark 12:29-31); Psalm 81:13-16; Proverbs 8:34; Isaiah 48:18; Matthew 7:24-27 (Luke 6:47-49); Matthew 13:15-23 (Mark 4:13-20 and Luke 8:11-15); John 5:24; 8:47; and Mark 4:24, 25.