Dream•sync

It seems for many life is in transition once again.

For me it's a moving of sorts - that's right - I'm finally moving into my apartment.  It's been such a long time coming that it hardly feels real.  And I find myself questioning my direction all over again.  I'll have my own place again which I have mixed feelings about honestly.  After living alone for so long it's been a welcome respite to actually have people around all the time even if they are my parents ;)

Now that I'm moving into my own space there's this feeling of isolation once again, though I know it to be only half true.

This past Sunday I was reminded that I am constantly being lied to.  And before you think it's because I discovered deception by a friend - yeah nothing like that happened :)

I am being constantly lied to - on a personal level within my own mind, and on an external level from influences of the culture.  Ultimately these lies originate with the Father of lies - the Devil.  Here's Jesus giving a description of him while rebuking the Pharisees in John 8 (my emphasis):

..He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 "There is no truth in him."

Contrast that with what Jesus says about himself in John 14:6 (again my emphasis):

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 "I am...the truth..."

Jesus is the truth.  He didn't say just that he "speaks the truth" (which I believe he did speak the truth - he would have to if he was the truth).  Or that he "had the truth" (which I also believe is a true statement). He said he is the truth.

What I find remarkable is that Jesus said there is "no truth in him [the Devil]".  No truth in him.  If I take that for an absolute - absolutely no truth in him - and then look at the number of times I've listened to his influence on me through media and my own lack of faith - my own internal battles of the mind fought not in the Spirit but in my own flesh... It's astonishing just how many times I've believed his lies and so-called 'half-truths' to be true.  Lies about my 'unworthiness' because of my relationship status, or my employment status, or my physical appearance, or the sins which beset me... I'm sure you could list many more.

So where does that leave me?  I'm sure it's the Enemy's purpose to put me in a fog - to cause me to focus so much on the battles I've lost that I become ineffective in the overall campaign.

On the contrary - it causes me to yearn after truth.  To equip myself in order to identify and squelch those lies and 'half-truths' that so easily condemn without just cause.  How do I do this?  Thankfully Jesus made that clear earlier in the John 8 passage :

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

So I need to abide in his word.  Which I've been having a hard time doing lately because of all the travel.  Which is probably another reason why I've been struggling with all the change that is happening to me and around me.

Nevertheless - Laus Deo.  Praise be to God.  For His providential working to show just a little bit more of Himself to me even through this transitional time.  Now for the grace to accomplish what needs to be done - more time in the word so that I can be prepared to squelch those lies.