Are you committed or just involved? Commitment to God requires standing for the truth. When we walk in the truth, we are walking in Jesus. In this world, truth is not valued the way the LORD values truth.

In this world, lies spread faster than the truth. Our flesh has a tendency to believe lies over the truth. The truth stands alone and does not change.

• 3 John 1:3-4 New King James Version – For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

It’s important to live a life that lines up with the truth in God’s Word. We will have an opportunity in this life to take a stand for the truth. A good judge knows how to listen for lies and discern the truth. We must stand for truth even if it goes against our family or friends. The enemy likes to use people close to us to test us.

Our spiritual ties should be stronger than our family ties. We must make a decision to stand with Christ and not with a lie. Sometimes unbelievers will stand for truth more than believers and even turn in a loved one who is wrong to law enforcement.

When a Christian lies, the Holy Spirit will bring conviction. He will guide us to all truth, but the Holy Spirit will not make us tell the truth. We have to choose to tell the truth.

• John 16:13 New King James Version – However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Sometimes silence is a lie. If we know something is wrong and we don’t speak up–that is also a form of lying.

• James 4:17 New King James Version – Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Sometimes it’s hard to receive truth, if it is not what we want to hear. But truth is good for us. We must develop an appetite for full truth. We want things watered down. There will be times where we will have to stand for truth by ourselves. This is what happened to the prophet Micaiah.

• 1 Kings 22:6-8 New King James Version – ⁶ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?” So they said, “Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.” ⁷ And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?” ⁸ So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

Micaiah prophesied the opposite of what the other 400 prophets spoke. He was the only one telling the truth from the LORD.

• 1 Kings 22:23 New Kings James Version – Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

If someone brings a lie, we will only be receptive to it, it our heart was open to the lie in the first place.

In this world we will have trouble. No amount of money, education or status stops trouble from coming our way. In spite of this world full of troubles, we don’t have to let the trouble get inside of us.

• John 14:1 New King James Version – “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 

The world is getting set up right now for the greatest time of trouble that the earth has ever known. The time of Jacob’s Trouble (also known as the time of Tribulation) is soon to come.

• Jeremiah 30:7 New King James Version – Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.

But until that time comes, we need to be salt and light. We cannot adopt the ways of the world. We must uphold a standard and believe God will deliver us.

We don’t have to open the door of our hearts to be troubled. We can protect our hearts from ungodly influences like social media, gossip and temptation by using discernment when choosing what to watch, what to listen to and what to flee from. Focusing on the LORD and staying in the Word of God strengthens us to take a stand against wickedness.

God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to believe in Him, and that He can and that He will help us overcome everything the enemy throws our way.

• Hebrews 11:6 New King James Version – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Joshua once asked the LORD to make the sun stand still so he could have more time to defeat the enemy. And The LORD answered that prayer!

• Joshua 10:12-14 New King James Version – ¹² Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” ¹³ So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. ¹⁴ And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; or the Lord fought for Israel.

There are times when God allows trouble to come into our lives in order to accomplish His will. God allowed persecution to come during the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection so the plan of salvation could be completed and the disciples would scatter and spread the Gospel.

• John 16:32-33 New King James Version – Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We can still have cheer during a time of trouble and overcome it when we keep trusting the LORD.

• 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 New King James Version – ⁸ We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

What was the first thing God gave Adam and Eve? Instructions. Why is it important to follow instructions? We follow instructions to show obedience, to survive, and to do things right. It’s important to follow the right instructions, so we get good results.

• Joshua 1:8 New King James Version – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

The world gives instructions that are in opposition to God’s instructions. Jesus came to earth–The Word of God–and left twelve disciples to spread the Good News of salvation and to teach people how to follow God’s instructions. Disciples are “disciplined ones” who follow Christ Jesus.

There are many voices, other than the LORD’s voice, that will try to instruct us–the enemy, our flesh, the world, and even our family all can have our ear. We must discern the Voice of the LORD above all other voices and obey Him.

• Matthew 7:22-23 New King James Version – Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

We must guard against the desire to fit in with the crowd. Often times the majority is going against the will of God. To be committed to Christ we must willing to stand out and go against the majority if the majority is doing what’s evil.

• Matthew 7:13 New King James Version – Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

Sometimes God gives us very specific instructions that must be followed precisely. God has procedures that won’t always make sense to us. But, we don’t have to understand in order to obey. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-seeing. We can trust that His Way is the best way. We just need to follow instructions. What is Noah only partially obeyed God and only build half of the ark? Half of an ark would not save anyone.

• Hebrews 11:7 New King James Version – By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

We must build up our faith in God, to obey God. Consider the word that the prophet Elisha gave three kings who needed a miracle to win the battle. Read the account in 2 Kings 3:15-27 to see how they won the battle by following one simple instruction–dig ditches in the desert. God miraculously filled the ditches with water and when the sun rose, the pools of water looked like pools of blood. This confused the enemy and the three kings went to war and won the battle.

Obey God by faith and expect UNUSUAL MIRACULOUS FAVOR from the LORD.