truth will change us

I was reading a book, not a religious book, just a secular one and I came across the following; Truth is like a fire. . .It never –never-- leaves what it touches unchanged. That really struck me. The author was being philosophical about something mundane, but I immediately understood the statement as it applied to God’s Eternal Truth.

It makes me shiver to think how true that is. The Word of God has endured for more than 2000 years now as the standard for the lives of men and women. Political regimes have tried to destroy it. Religious organizations have tried to revise it. And Man has just blatantly tried to cast its teaching aside. But It has never-never-left the lives of men and women untouched.

I used to have a relative who was raised in a Christian family in a godly church congregation. When she was old enough she left home and pursued a couple exciting careers neither of which were conducive to living for the Lord. Of course she chose to go her own way in spite of the truth she had know from childhood.

She came home after a few years and seemed to repent. She went to church regularly and

professed highly. Within a short time she married a Christian man. They had four children and lived together in relative accord, but she could never completely abandon her desire for the world. After 10 or 12 years she found a reason to accuse her husband of infidelity and sued for divorce. The man, in his innocence, was shattered, but gave her most of the marital property and allowed her to have custody of the children.

A few years later she proved to be not as good a mother as he had expected and the lies she told her young children caused many hard feelings against their father until they were old enough to think for themselves. She followed a sinful life-style and when the children were older they began to tell of the her many immoral actions and the times her friends would bring her home and dump her on the sofa where she remained passed out cold. The ten and twelve year olds were left to try and undress her and get her into bed-or make her comfortable on the sofa.

Her bitterness eventually extended to the children and they left home to live with their father or with friends. Today, the woman lives in a lovely empty house. Her children are gone to their own lives and although they try to relate to her as children to parents, the way is rocky.

Her husband, whose influence she tried so hard to destroy, enjoys a good relationship with all his children. He lives almost next door to his youngest and his grand children. The others also have close contact with him.

Truth touched her life. She chose to walk away from it and deny God in her life. But she was not unchanged. Her end is worse than her beginning.

Truth will change us one way or another… Don’t ever think we can ‘take it or leave it.’ Once we have come face to face with the Word of God, It is there and It has an eternal effect on our life.