Walking in the Truth

“For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 1:3-4 NASB)

The Lord is always teaching us about Himself and about who we are in Him. His word contains the truth of who each one is, and it is this truth, that when received, sets us free. Jesus said to His disciples, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Are you truly free? I want to share with you another little story and lesson from our recent holiday at Point Lonsdale. As I was looking out over the ocean hoping to spot some ships coming in and out of the heads of Port Phillip Bay a beautiful event occurred. Frolicking about 50 metres out from the beach was a pod of about 12-15 dolphins. They were swimming and gliding along with the waves and at times their bodies were half out of the water. It was truly a joy to behold. After watching them for a good 10 minutes a number of them began to leap fully out of the water. Have you ever seen a dolphin in their natural habitat leap right out of the water? Wow! This was exhilarating to see. I couldn’t keep it to myself and called out to a mother with her 2 children who were playing on a nearby playground, “Come and have a look at this!” I just wanted them to see it. Right at that moment a man came down from a higher vantage point and said, “Did you see the dolphins?” It brought a shared response of joy from us all. I learned something precious from this special encounter with the pod of dolphins. The exhilaration of being fully who God created and named each one of us to be and then living in that, is a joy that cannot be measured. I’m sure John the apostle echoed God the Father when he spoke the words, ‘I have no greater joy than to hear and see that my children, my spiritual sons and daughters, are walking in the truth of who they have been named to be’. I wonder whether the Father takes great joy in me, because I am being everything that He wants me to be in Christ: because I’m responding, I’m being obedient, I’m being sanctified, and I am leaping for joy because of His word of truth to me. There is no greater freedom.