Daily Devo
Speaking God's Truth
By: Kim Garrett
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?” John 7:14-15
Have you ever purchased fresh bananas and discovered spots and bruises when you peeled them? How does this happen? They were fresh and colorful on the outside, but you couldn't see beneath the surface. People can be the same way... They may look spiritual on the outside, but you can't always tell what's hiding beneath the surface.
In our opening verse above, Jesus was openly teaching in the temple. But when He spoke, the people were surprised by what they heard. Jesus didn't look like a scholar, and they knew He wasn't trained by a rabbi. In today's vernacular, we'd probably say, "He didn't look the part." Being fully God and fully man, Jesus knew what they were thinking. He answered their concerns in the very next verse; “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me." John 7:16
Jesus knew the crowd still doubted His authority. In verse 18, He gave them a way to tell if He was speaking for the wrong reasons or looking for attention. "Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." John 7:18 NIV
Our world is hurting, and people all around us are losing their hope. But as Christ followers, you and I carry divine hope with us wherever we go. Even better, God's truth lives within us. Through the power of The Holy Spirit, we possess the living truth of the gospel. Our world needs Jesus, our job (our commission) is to share it with those hurting people around us.
We love God. We trust God. We glorify God every time we speak His truth! When God lives inside us and is deeply implanted in our hearts, our "inside" will align with our "outside." When people see us, they should see a reflection of Christ. Our words and our message should point people towards Him. We are manifesting God's character and glory every time we use our words to speak His truth.
Let's be sure our words honor and glorify God. Speak His truth in love and point everyone you meet towards Jesus!
Read: Ephesians 5:6; Romans 5:5; 1 Peter 1:3, 4:11