Among the things upon which Philippians 4:8 directs us to meditate is “whatever things are true.” As I think about things that are true, I cannot help but think about things that are said to be true and are not, or things that are postulated to be proven by scientists whose original hypotheses, premises, theories, suppositions and logic were all wrong to begin with. What things are true?
It seems that even basic facts and truths about mankind are challenged. I believe that God is and that I am a creation of His. I do not believe that I am either a man dreaming that I am a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming that I am a man. I do not believe that my ancestors crawled out of the sea onto dry land and evolved into an intelligent, upright ape, or that we are recipients of some spirit molecule, or that we were created by a feathered serpent out of yellow and white corn. I do not believe that human DNA was originally placed on our planet by intelligence living in a galaxy far, far away.
We are bombarded by an abundance of lies about who or what we are. Textbooks, movies, Television, and the news media tease us and please us with theories, fantasies, and falsehood. And, we know who is the father of lies. How do we push aside all the manure and minutiae to see the clear, pure truth? How are we able to meditate on “whatever things are true” when truth is covered up with trash?
I believe that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3). That is the truth about who we are. We are made by Him and only in Him do we find what is true. “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Pure and sweet truth is found as we seek the face of God, as we follow our Lord Jesus, and as we submit to Him as our source of strength, life, and truth.