Truth is vital in every realm of our lives.
Truth may be something we assume or take for granted. However, the Bible tells us the whole world is deceived (Rev. 12:9). (Could it be we are even deceived about being deceived or that we fail to recognize the truth about the truth? hmmmmm.) Truth is reality--without spins, either emotional, ideological, political, or other slants. Caleb was blessed by God because he gave information about the Promised Land in its pure form--without a spin, without a slant--without fear. He returned with the facts, not a selfish agenda.
How much do we value truth? How truthful and straightforward are we? We read that Caleb's daughter was also "bold" and did not hesitate to ask her father for what she wanted. It seems that truthfulness may be equated with boldness (this is deserving of a lot of thought). Jesus came across as speaking with authority (Matthew 7:29), because He is the very source of reality. Truth is the foundation of authority. How thankful, considering the deceptions of today, that we can know the truth! How we should hunger for the very Truth of God's word as the foundation of our lives. How we should love truth!
Psalm 45:1, says, "My heart is overflowing with a good theme". What better "theme" than truth! In Luke, "Jesus did not neglect the truth to remain popular" (Dr. Stanley). Jesus called that generation for what it was--evil (He did not use politically correct, less than truthful terms either). He spoke the truth about the coming judgment, and the darkness that permeated the lives of the religious leaders of the day. He reprimanded the lawyers for taking away "the key of knowledge" (which is truth) and for hindering others (from knowing the truth). The scribes and Pharisees revealed their hearts by "lying in wait for Him", and seeking to accuse Him.
The world would undergo a massive transformation if everyone practiced truthfulness. It is not in our power to make this happen. Neither will God force truth on the world. Seeing and understanding the importance of truth and its power to make us free, may we pray for God to help us be more like Caleb, and definitely more like the Son of God. As we strive to stick with the facts and discern what is and is not reality, we can thank God that we can know the truth. We are also admonished to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). And, we should not be surprised when the truth is rejected (John 8).
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