(Jesus said) "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." John 8:46-47

Honesty and Ethics.

Gallup has just released its "Honesty and Ethics Poll," which is just another fancy way of asking, "How much does the average Joe and Jane really trust the authority figures all around them?"

Apparently, the answer is "Not very much." For example, the poll said,

· 55 percent of people rate the members of the U.S. House of Representatives as
low/very low.

· 49 percent of Senators are placed into that same bottom category.

· Clergy do better with 50 percent of us being rated high/very high in ethics.
(Unfortunately, that percentage is the lowest it's been since Gallup started reporting.

The mood of distrust seems to touch almost everything.

When it comes to global warming, people are asking, "If I can't trust the weatherman to tell me what's happening a half hour from now, how can I believe him when he's looking years into the future?"

On the subject of nationalized insurance, many seem to wonder if the figures they're hearing have any truth to them, or is it just a bunch of numbers with no connection to reality?

Even the Lord has not managed to escape the doubtful eye of the questioners: "How do I know the Bible is real?" "How can I be sure Jesus is the only Savior?" "How can I know there isn't a giant Christian cover-up?" "How can I believe the things the Church has said?"

These are legitimate questions and they deserve an answer.

The answer is found in Jesus' words. "If I tell the truth. . . ." Did Jesus tell the truth? Has God spoken the truth? Scripture records many inspired authors who spoke over many centuries. Did their prophecies find fulfillment in the person of the Christ?

During Jesus' three years of ministry, He said many things. Do those things hold water? He made predictions about His life, His death, and His resurrection. Were those predictions fulfilled? Were they all fulfilled? Were they all fulfilled in the way and according to the timetable He set up?

To every inquiring mind, the Lord encourages them to find answers in His Word. There, an honest questioner will find the Triune God can be trusted, Jesus can be believed, and all who have been given faith in the Redeemer most definitely have salvation.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. In a world where truth seems to be questionable and relative, let me find my peace in the solid truth of Your Word and the Savior's unchanging story of salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 18-19    Matthew 6:1-18

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"