Trustworthy and true
Into the spaghetti of Why this? And Why that? come the next words of verse 5: “These words are trustworthy and true.”
Renewal comes to our lives by looking at the things which God says are trustworthy and true. There is a risk that we can box up God’s words about the process and stay right where we have been: denying its value. The better way, though, is to take on the mantle of God’s outlook. We will live better now by that approach. Much can be written about this, but the thing that remains is God’s word. What is best to be discounted are the self-descriptions. Knowing my tendencies is good to a point, but leaving them behind by putting faith in God’s words is the best. That approach is true, and because it is true it is trustworthy.
It is me saying to myself, “Don’t rush this. Live this.” While I may nearly worship accomplishment (I think I put the word “nearly” in there because it makes accomplishment less idol-like) that may just be another way of saying I want to get the process over with.
Now that I told you some of my spaghetti, what is yours? Where is the spaghetti in your life? Much more importantly, are you studying the Bible to learn truth from God? Do you tell yourself that that truth is trustworthy? Do you then apply that trustworthy that your moments might be disentangled?
Beginning & Ending
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:6-7–ESV)
God is the beginning of all.
In the middle there is thirst.
In the middle, there must be conquering.
God is at the end of all.
Being thirsty is good and natural. It does not represent a shortcoming. There is no failure in thirst. Thirst is also not a thing that stays quenched but comes back again and again. There is to be an is-ness to the thing called life (this is a word I got from that L’Engle book I mentioned above). It is the essence of the right this very moment. We are to be thirsty for God while we “is.” Of course is is a to be verb making the more grammatical approach: We are to be thirsty for God while we be.
What trustworthy thing does God say to us here? Look to God in the middle of your thirsty moments. The spring of the water of life is already flowing.
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