[Thoughts about truth]: 1. Thinking you know the truth isn’t arrogant or intolerant; arrogance comes from having the wrong convictions about how to treat people who don’t share it with you. 2. The whole point of searching for truth is to find it; saying that the important thing in life isn’t having truth but searching for it is like saying that the important thing in sickness isn’t getting well but seeing doctors. 3. Reasoning depends on faith; falsely placed faith will keep you from the truth, but rightly placed faith will help you find it. 4. It doesn’t make sense that there is no truth because then it wouldn’t even be true that there isn’t. 5. It doesn’t make sense to claim truth can’t be found because to claim anything at all is to imply that the claim is true. 6. The biggest and most important truths aren’t harder to find than the little ones; in fact they’re easier because God has provided help. 7. Truth isn’t whatever you sincerely believe; only a mighty magician could make something true just by thinking it. 8. Popular agreement doesn’t make a statement true; people have been swallowing nonsense since the world began. 9. The slogan that truth is whatever works isn’t a pathway to the truth; it’s a wall to keep it out.
J. Budziszewski

7 CONSTANT CARING

7 CONSTANT CARING F O O T ================================

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READING

7 CONSTANT CARING

PRAY Thank you, Lord God, for your constant love, Help me to learn more about it today. —————————————————————— READ Mark 1:29-45. —————————————————————— THINK How did Jesus manage to maintain an exhausting program of caring and sharing (35)? —————————————————————— FOCUS IN A HOME (29-31). From the excitement and bustle of the synagogue Jesus is able to retreat to the quiet of a humble home. But he didn’t rest until he had met the need that was there. IN THE STREET (32-34). Sunset marked the end of the Jewish Sabbath, and so the Jews then felt free to bring needy people to Jesus. Picture the scene. As stars began to appear in the sky crowds gathered at the door. The crowds were great, but not greater than the compassion of Jesus and his power to heal them. ON THE MOVE (39-45). In those days there was no known cure for leprosy and the victims had to be completely isolated from their family and friends. It was a no-hope situation – until Jesus came along. He ‘stretched out his hand and touched him’ (41). Jesus could have healed without touching, but it was an act of compassion. No-one ever touched lepers. WITH HIS FATHER (35-37). If anyone had an excuse for a ‘lay-in’ after a tiring day, it was Jesus. (Check again his day’s program, beginning at chapter 1:21). Time for prayer is not an extra, a luxury, or a ‘special’; it should be part of the routine of life, even at the busiest time. Compare the amount of time you spend praying with the amount watching TV, on hobbies, with friends. Are there any practical things you could do to make more time for prayer? —————————————————————— PRAY Lord, show me someone today to whom I can show that extra ‘touch’ of compassion that means so much. ==========