Listen to the words of Jesus from Mark 4:21-25: “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he also said, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

It may not be apparent right away what He’s saying, but here’s what He’s getting at with these two parables, two things: we must be careful with how we handle truth, and we must be careful how we judge truth.

Who turns on a lamp and then hides it under the bed? Nobody. Yet that’s what we often do with truth. Truth is meant to be revealed. That’s why God gave it to us. We shouldn’t keep it a secret but instead proclaim it widely.

Second, we must be careful how we judge truth. The judgment you use on God’s Word is the judgment you’ll receive and even more so. So, the wise person listens to God’s Word with a humble, open heart and takes it in. And when you do, God will add more blessings to you.

So, gladly receive God’s Word as truth, and then shine the lamp of God’s truth for everybody to see.

Change begins in you!