Facts vs truth...

          ​Last week I shared on coming into agreement with what God says instead of what we may be seeing right in front of us. I don’t want to move on just yet from this concept. I want to spend a little more time on this. Around the same time I watched the video from Pastor Mike Todd that was the motivation for last week’s blog, I also watched a video by Pastor Steven Furtick. It was a tiny snippet from one of his sermons and was entitled “Facts vs Truth.” The line from this video that catches my attention is: “...no word from God will ever fail; if He speaks it it’s true even if the facts say otherwise.” If we didn’t get it last week, here it is again: if God says it that settles it. It's a lovely little cliché we love to bandy about but do we always believe it especially when challenging situations come our way? Pastor Steven used the example of Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The fact was that Goliath was way taller than David. The fact was that Goliath was an experienced warrior while David was not. But the truth was that while Goliath would be relying on his military prowess and strength, David would be relying, not on his meagre strength but on his very big and able God. When presented with that truth there was no doubt who the clear winner would be!!!
         I think about the story of the woman who suffered with a blood issue for twelve years (Mark 5:25-34). It wasn’t twelve days, or twelve hours or twelve months, but twelve years! By that time, she had run out of money to pay physicians to help her and instead of getting better she got worse. The doctors themselves had probably given up, friends and family had probably given up, maybe even she too had given up. But here came Jesus on the scene – the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6a). She had been facing and living with facts for twelve years – the fact of her incurable sickness and the sad fact that she was an outcast in society because she was considered impure. But then came Jesus, the Truth – the One who could cure any sickness or disease, the One who could cast out any devil no matter the amount, the One who could raise the dead . . . the One who could do the impossible!!! When she heard He was coming her way, she decided to try one more time. I guess you could say that she chose to take her eyes off of the facts and she became focused on the Truth and she didn’t take her focus off of Him until she had touched the hem of his garment, even in spite of the thick crowd around her. She was drawn to that Truth, she didn’t want facts anymore and she would do anything to reach for that Truth, that One who would be her Healer and Deliverer ... and He did not disappoint!
         How willing are we to take our eyes off the facts and fix our focus on the Truth? How willing are we to do whatever we have to, to reach for that Truth which is found only in Christ? Yes, it can be difficult. We are so accustomed to going by what we see, that it is difficult to go by what God says. It takes a whole lot of faith and trust. 
         I’ll be honest, in my own life, I often go by what I see. It can be so difficult to trust God and have the faith, not so much that He can but that He will. Recently, I had an interesting experience. It really got my attention to the point where I am chucking as I write about it now. I have been concerned and so been praying for a particular individual. After some labored prayer on their behalf, I felt as if God was just telling me to trust Him with them, that He would take care of them. I felt an immediate peace, confidence and relief as I released that person into God’s care. Not long after – about a few hours later – I found myself praying for another individual. Suddenly, out of the blue, God reminded me of the other person I had been praying for just a few hours earlier. If I could trust Him with that person, I could trust Him with this one too. I think I stopped in mid-pacing of my floor as I realized that what God could do for one He could certainly do for the other. I had become so focused I guess on facts. The fact was that these people were going through what they were going through and I was not able to fix things for them. The truth was I was going on their behalf to the One who can fix anything ... even difficult situations! And if He told me He would do it for them, then He would! 
         I just want to encourage us today. The facts are what they are but the truth is wrapped up in a God who is able to do the impossible. If He says it that settles it. So, remember two things: God’s Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish what He wants it to accomplish (Isaiah 55:11) and with man it is impossible but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27)!!!
         If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Saviour, please take that step now. We all need Someone bigger and stronger than us who can handle anything that comes our way and who will not make a promise to us He can’t keep!

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