Daily Life Lessons: The Entirety of it All
Original Entry Date 1/22/2022: The other day, I set out to wash the dishes that I had been neglecting to wash. I was feeling a certain way, lost in my emotions as I scrubbed that dirty pan.
I had put off washing those dishes because I knew as soon as I did, I would be flooded with thoughts of how dirtying so many dishes for just myself felt like extra, unnecessary work. Then I would think how much I wanted to have someone to cook for and how that is worth making such a mess. Loneliness would then come over me as I recounted to myself how there was not a person to cook with or for there, because I have not been found to be “good enough.”
I can get tangled up in thinking and feeling this way. Does anyone else?
As I finished cleaning that up I felt God whisper “The Truth shall set You Free.” I heard and felt this verse repeated to me over the past week or so. Today it came to me again as I was listening to a YouTube about emotions. I then searched online for a background photo for my new Twitter page (yes I started a twitter today for this blog! follow me if you’d like @BaptizeL ) I thought to myself how this verse John 8:32 :And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
is very well known and quoted everywhere. But the word “AND” is not included at the beginning there a lot of times. I mean it’s no biggie but when you think about it if the full verse “32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” was on that horse picture above what would you think? The word AND tells us that this statement connects to the one previously stated because they go together. Let’s read John 8:31 and 32 together:
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32
To abide in the Words and Jesus is where truth is revealed and freedom comes. To abide means to live or reside in a certain place; to persevere and to endure.
My point is that it is important to read God’s Word in its entirety. Anyone can take the shortened version of 8:32 and say it means whatever when Jesus says specifically to abide in Him (Jesus is the Word of God) is he key to verse 32.
I recommend that you read the whole chapter of John 8 and think of how everything He says ties together.
