Truth or Circumstances

          One of the very first game shows on radio and then later on TV was a show called Truth or Consequences. On the show the contestants were asked a question- if they got the answer wrong, there was a consequence- usually a funny stunt they had to do.  When I was reading about the show, it said people would often get the answer wrong on purpose because they wanted to do the consequence.         

           Sometimes I feel that our lives feel almost like a game of truth and consequences, but instead of consequences it is Truth or circumstances. Every day we have circumstances that happen around us and sometimes those situations can be almost overwhelming. Have you ever been through a season in life that just seemed overwhelming and you felt completely hopeless? Maybe you are in a situation like that right now.

            There is a story of someone dealing with this kind of situation in Luke 7:12-17.  A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.  Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.

            This woman would have felt very helpless. She was already a widow and had lost a protector and provider in her life, but she still had hope because she had a son. In her world, women didn’t just go get jobs, they relied on the husband and sons to take care of them. When her husband died, she still had hope because she had a son that could provide for her as he got older, but now she lost him too. Her circumstances were bleak and seemed hopeless. In that moment, her truth seemed to be that her son was dead along with her hopes of provision, but that wasn’t the truth. The truth was Jesus. You see her son was dead, so in a way that was the truth of her circumstance, but the greater truth was that Jesus was there and he raised the son. She did not realize it, but she had hope because she had Jesus. Her situation was bleak- but Jesus. You see we have situations and circumstances all the time that really seem like they are truth, but they aren’t necessarily the truth- the truth is Jesus. Jesus is still as much the truth in our circumstance as he was in hers.

            The truth is that we have a God who loves us and who sent Jesus to this earth to die for us and then sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. It is all too easy for us to look around and lose hope because things look hopeless and bad, but the way things look are not always what they really are.

            Romans 4:18 says that even when there was no reason for hope Abraham kept hoping- believing that he would become the father of many nations. It says he hoped because God had said to him he would be. In verses 20-25 it says, “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.  And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.  And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”

            This says that Abraham knew that God said he would have a son with Sarah. So God’s word was more truth to him than his circumstances. We have to know God’s word so that we can know His truth. If we do not know God’s truth, the devil comes in and tells you untruths. The devil is called the father of lies. He is tricky. Sometimes he will come at you with just enough truth to make you believe the untruth. When you believe the untruth, it seems as truth to you.

            We have to know that God’s word says in 2 Corinthians 9 that God wants to generously provide all that you need so that you will have all you need and some left over to share. We need to know that in Philippians 4:7 it says God wants to give you peace that passes all understanding to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. We need to know when we are going through a situation that is so hurtful and so awful that our hearts are broken and we can’t see any hope, Romans 8:28 says that we know that God will cause all things to work for our good. He doesn’t cause the bad situations, John 10:10 tells us that, but we know that he will redeem what has happened to us and work it for our best if we let him.

             When you are going through things that seem hopeless, when you have a dream that is past due and you think that it will never get better- remember Abraham. He was 100 years old before he saw the promise of God’s word come to pass, but it did come to pass. When you are afraid, you will never see whatever it is you are looking for, remember- but Jesus. When your job seems overwhelming, or your boss seems too demanding- but Jesus. When your kids drive you crazy, or your lack of kids drives you crazy- but Jesus. When you are looking for a husband, or wish you could get rid of your husband- but Jesus. Jesus said He is the word made flesh. John 1 says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. When we know God’s word, we know what the truth is for us to hold on to. When you want to give up, find a promise of God in your situation and cling to that promise as long as it takes. Make a choice to take your eyes off of your circumstance and remember those are just the way things appear, but the truth is Jesus.