Psalm 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.

I have written on this Psalm numbers of times, and it is justly famous. 42:1 is widely popular as set to music, and the repeated refrain (42:5, 11, 43:5) has helped countless people overcome depression. However, there is more to this than those most famous bits. I like this verse because of the reference to light, truth, and guidance. David put it like this: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) God’s light is qualitatively different from physical illumination. It is inseparable from who He is, and it enables us to perceive things as they really are. No deception can stand before God’s light! That makes it again inseparable from God’s truth. Recently expressions like “my truth” and “your truth” have become popular, as though truth were subjective. However, that’s a logical absurdity, and it is promoted by the ultimate liar. (John 8:44) Sometimes two things can be true that seem to contradict each other, such as free will and predestination, but that conflict comes from our limited intellect, rather than being intrinsic. In any case, God’s light and truth will always lead us to Him, and that should be our goal. Anything that doesn’t lead us to God is ultimately worthless.

This has been a growing awareness in me for essentially my whole life. I have been distracted by various things at various times, and even now many things vie for my attention, but God’s light and truth are ultimate. The thing is, it remains my choice as to where I will invest my attention. I’m not to ignore the things of my daily life, much less the people around me, but my ultimate focus needs to be on God, on His light and truth. I need to be careful always to speak the truth in love, and not wield it as a cudgel, but I’m not to deny the truth in order to “be kind.” Lies are never kind, whatever “social norms” might say. That’s not to say that I’m always to blab things out, particularly when they would be wounding; I need to know when to be quiet. That’s been a problem for me! I need to speak God’s truth in God’s love so that it may be God’s light to lead people to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. You have me preaching on testifying of You again this Sunday, when the message was similar just a couple of weeks ago. Your truth bears repeating! May I yield total Lordship to You, so that Your words through me may accomplish Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!