Truth Telling

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” John 4:16 (New King James Version)

A woman of Samaria comes to a well to get water and is about to have a conversation with Jesus. What she didn’t realize was that He was her Creator and knew every detail of her life. He also sought to be the redeemer of her life. A radical change was about to take place but it would require a moment of truth. Once her interest was pricked Jesus asked her a question that would change her entire view of Him. He asked her to go and get her husband. The woman’s first response was a cover up of sorts. She simply told Jesus she didn’t have a husband. Her words were true but her story was still being well hidden….as far as she was concerned. Jesus knew the truth. In a moments time He exposed an area of her life that she was hoping would remain her “secret.” He revealed the living situation she was presently in. Having been married five times previously, she was now living with a person she wasn’t married to. Her reaction was not one of denial, shame, or anger. Her reaction was that she finally saw Jesus for who He was.

I have come to realize how my honesty with God opens up a relationship with Him that is impossible when I try to hide details of my life from Him. He knows it all. He has seen everything I have done, heard everything I have said, and perceived everything I have thought. He has been present at every conversation, witnessed every heartache, and detected every sin. He even stands fully aware of any future moments in my life. Opening up in honesty to Him is NOT for the purpose of informing Him of something He does not know. It is for the purpose of freeing me!

I love Job 36:16 from the NIV, “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restrictions, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.” It has become my life verse because it expresses God’s plan and work in my life. I am not free in any area where I am in denial or hiding. When I close off any area of my life and hesitate to confide the truth to my Heavenly Father I am in a prison of my own making. His desire for me to be honest with Him about my actions, motives, thoughts, and failures is an invitation to freedom and intimate relationship. My honesty opens up the lines of communication and the door to change.

Knowing that He loves me unconditionally, delights in me as His daughter, and longs to set me free from any and all things, makes it possible and desirable to be honest with Him. I have learned that my truth telling is always met with open arms, tender eyes, listening ears, and receptive heart. The beauty of His fathering me is something I continue to marvel over!

Father, You ask the right questions and probe the right areas of my heart. I am learning to trust You in ways that use to be difficult. May the conversations we have continue to be healing, refreshing, and renewing. Amen.