Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses: Joshau 13:1-14:15, Luke 18:1-17, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 13:7-8

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Truth Is Your Foundation

Sometimes it is hard to speak truth. We often come into situations where we feel compelled to speak, but we don’t—because we worry about offending someone, or that others will reject it. Maybe we don’t feel confident in how to say it. Maybe it feels awkward. Or perhaps we know that person doesn’t believe and doesn’t want to hear about our faith.

But God says our words can change everything in today’s Gem of Knowledge. The Holy Spirit whispered to me:

“Diluted words lead to diluted faith. Never try to water down the truth to make it more palatable. Truth can change everything if you are willing to serve it in love.”

When truth is watered down, it loses its power to convict others. And when we allow truth to become diluted in ourselves, it no longer confronts us in the same way either. It doesn’t call us higher with the same clarity. And without realizing it, our faith begins to weaken—not because God has changed, but because the truth we are standing on has been diluted.

In today’s reading, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. She does not adjust her request to make it more acceptable. She does not back down when she is ignored. She continues, steady and unwavering, until justice is given. Then Jesus follows that teaching with a question that lingers long after the story ends:

“But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:8, NLT)

It’s a sobering question, and it points to something deeper. Faith is not sustained by comfort. It is sustained by truth. When truth is clear and undiluted, it gives us something solid to stand on. We stand firm in it, and we can share that steadiness with others so they can find their firm foundation too.

But when truth is softened, faith becomes uncertain—easily swayed by circumstances, opinions, and emotions—for us and for others.

We see a beautiful picture of God’s heart of truth and love in Psalm 85:

“Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!” (Psalm 85:10, NLT)

Truth was never meant to stand alone, harsh and unyielding, nor was love ever meant to exist apart from truth. They were designed to work together. Truth brings clarity, conviction, and direction, while love carries it in a way that heals rather than harms. When we separate the two, we either become harsh without love or gentle without power. But when they come together, they produce transformation.

Jesus makes it even clearer when He says:

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, NLT)

It is not a softened version of truth that brings freedom. It is truth in its fullness—received, believed, and lived out—that breaks chains and brings real change.

The challenge for us is not only whether we believe the truth, but whether we are willing to live by it and share it as it is. There may be moments when it feels easier to stay quiet or to soften what we know is true. There may be times when we hesitate because we don’t want to offend or be misunderstood. But truth that is diluted cannot produce the freedom God intends.

At the same time, we are not called to speak truth carelessly. Scripture reminds us to speak the truth in love, which means our words should reflect the heart of God even as they carry the clarity of His truth. This requires humility, sensitivity, and a willingness to let the truth first shape our own lives before we offer it to others.

Truth, when received fully and carried in love, has the power to change everything.💎

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Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take 5 minutes to be with the Lord today. Ask Him:

• “Lord, what do You want me to know about this personally?”
  • Journal what He reveals to you.
• Then ask, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
  • Journal what He reveals – then do it!

Always write down what He shows you, and ask Him for the courage to live it out.

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Prayer

Father, thank You for Your truth, steady and unchanging. Forgive me for the times I have softened it or avoided it when it felt uncomfortable. I don’t want to live by partial truth or what feels easiest—I want to live by what is true. Strengthen my faith by anchoring me in Your Word. Teach me to receive truth fully, and to walk in it with humility and love. Help me to reflect Your heart as I speak and live it out. Let Your truth transform me from the inside out. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.