Truth or Lie - What Do You Know?

O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts. Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this: Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.
Psalm 92:5-7 NLT

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, the oldest written version of the saying “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” comes from 1576, in Petit Palace by G. Pettie. “So long as I know it not, it hurteth mee not.” Mr. Pettie might have thought he could be happy not knowing, but there is much that CAN harm you if you DON'T know.

For instance, in the 1500s when Mr. Pettie lived, those who were wealthy used pewter serving dishes. Pewter contains a high lead base. We all learned in history class that when food was prepared which contained highly acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, the acid would cause the lead in the pewter to leech into the food, resulting in lead poisoning and death. So tomatoes were thought to be a poisonous fruit. Was that the truth about tomatoes? No, it wasn't, but they didn't know about lead poisoning and so it appeared to be true because their life (or death) experience seemed to teach them that. What they didn't know was, in fact, killing them.

Oftentimes, we look at the circumstances of our lives and choose to believe the result of them over the Truth of God's Word. We believe we can't trust anyone because we've been hurt too many times. Therefore, trusting is not good. But that's not Truth. It may appear to be true because that's what our life (or death) experience seems to teach us. But if that's the lie we believe, then how do we trust God? And if we don't trust God to do and be what His Word says He will do and be, we won't read His Word or spend time in it. And in that case, what we don't know IS definitely hurting us.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 4:8-13 (The Message) And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today." The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God. So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience. God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it—no matter what.

So, what we don't know will definitely hurt us.

Prayer:

Father,
          Renew a right spirit within us. Blow on the cinders of the hearts that have lost their fire. Drive the Truth of Your Word deep into the very fiber of our being. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen