Test for Truth

I'm one of those crazy people who actually enjoyed summer school. I loved the fact that my fall and spring course loads were lighter because of the classes I took during the summer. And, for the most part, it seemed that the professors went a bit easier on students during the summer. With the exception of one particular professor.

During the summer of 1998, I signed up to take a class that I knew would have a fifty question true-false final exam. That scared me. I prefer short answer and essay exams because you can demonstrate that you know something and hopefully earn some credit even if the answer is not exactly on point. So, I went into the class knowing I was doomed. But little did I know exactly how much.

When the exam day arrived, I went in as prepared as I could be and walked out thinking that the test was not as bad as I had expected. Unfortunately, I should have prepared myself for the worst because my grade in that class was the lowest grade I ever made.

After the shock wore off, I went to talk to the professor about the exam. I noticed that many of the questions that I had missed I had marked as false. I thought through the questions and could not understand why that was not the correct answer. So I read one question to my professor and listed several scenarios that showed why I thought the correct answer should have been false. His reply, "Well, it's still mostly true." I never was able to pin him down on how many scenarios I would have to come up with to make a statement false. I had always been under the impression that just one would do the trick.

Much to this essay girl's chagrin, life seems full of true-false tests, many of which we aren't blatantly aware of. But thankfully, the test for truth is much easier than the exam I suffered through in summer school. By using the gift of God's Word to test everything that we read and hear, there's no need to count how many scenarios make something false; it either aligns with the Truth of God's Word or it doesn't. So it's as if we have the answer key at our disposal 24/7.

That's one simple test I'm willing to apply. How about you?

Reminders of Truth

On this election eve, I need some reminders of Truth to lean on as the fears and questions about the outcome of the election swirl in my head. Amidst this uncertainty, here are some Psalms that focus on God's sovereignty:

But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge. (Psalm 141:8)


For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. (Psalm 71:5)


Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. (Psalm 68:20)

Father God, I pray for Your grace to cover this election and for You to be glorified in the outcome. Help me to remember to pray often for those in positions of leadership. Amen.