Do not settle. Search!
“What is the meaning of life?”
“Is there a God?”
“What is my true purpose?”
“What happens when I die?”
For millennia the voice of the Evil One has whispered doubts concerning the very existence of God into every human ear that will listen. God endowed humanity with a soul and a conscience which beckon the mind to seek if there is an absolute answer to these questions. People have searched throughout the ages for reliable truth. Many believe they have found answers to these questions through spiritual teachings or religious experiences.
However, never has a single person impacted humanity more than the Jewish man born in Bethlehem[1] over 2,000 years ago, Yeshua[2] (Jesus). He made claims that He was no mere man or teacher.[3] He showed Himself to be the Son of God,[4] both human and divine.[5] He is the promised Messiah of Israel. He is the only Redeemer for people in a fallen state in a fallen world!
How often I have talked about Jesus with Jewish people or others only to be quickly rebuffed with phrases like, “Our rabbis say…” or “We are taught that….”
My response is, “But what about you? What do you believe, and why?”
Oh, how much easier and yet how dangerous[6] it is to follow a system, religion, or ideology based on what others have determined to be true.[7] History is littered with the devastation caused by simply settling for what others teach without truly searching for the truth on those big questions.
If there is a God, and if there really is more beyond this physical life we experience on earth, wouldn’t you want to know?
And if God[8] is personal and wants to give you a relationship with Him that surpasses your human understanding, wouldn’t you want to experience that?
And if God wants to rescue you from a deserved death[9] and devastating eternal state,[10] wouldn’t you at least try to discover that truth for yourself? Why trust your eternal destiny to someone else’s “Here’s what I think”?
If you are Jewish, then answers to these questions of eternal consequence truly should be sought out. Why especially? If indeed the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures, are true, then you must realize God has a plan and purpose for the Jewish people that extends to the nations of the world. This is the divine plan for true “tikkun olam”[11] (world repair).
So, how does one find truth?
Take the first step — one of inquiry. Ask, “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, if you exist, I want to know You. Please reveal Your truth to me.”
Next, open the Scriptures and read.
Where do I read?
1. Read from the Tanakh (Old Testament), the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah[12] (starting with Isaiah 52:13). Then read Psalm 2.
2. Read from the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) the entire Gospel of John or Matthew. You choose.
What do I pray after I read?
“God in heaven, help me know and believe Your truth.”
Perhaps you are thinking, “What a lame blog, nothing exciting here.” To that I would say, “Don’t underestimate the power of the Bible.” It is absolutely God’s Word and has an ability to pierce and challenge your heart and mind unlike any other book ever written.
Isn’t it time to stop settling for what others say and search and see for yourself?
We would love to speak with you about God’s redemptive plan[13] to “repair” humanity in a broken world through the Jewish people and the Jewish Messiah!
Let God speak the truth[14] to you through His Word, the Scriptures.
Written by Jeff, LIFE staff
How and where have you been searching for truth?
What is preventing you from asking God to aid you in your search today?
For additional help with answers to life’s “big questions” from the Scriptures, check out QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS at www.insearchofshalom.com.
Endnotes:
[1] Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6.
[2] The birth name of Jesus is the Hebrew word Yeshua, meaning salvation. Read Isaiah 12:2 and Matthew 1:20-23.
[3] Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Acts 7:37; Matthew 7:29.
[4] Psalm 2; Proverbs 30:1-5; Matthew 22:42-46; Psalm 110:1-4.
[5] Isaiah 9:1-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; John 3:14; Daniel 7:13-14.
[6] Proverbs 14:12
[7] Mark 7:1-9
[8] Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 3:9-17
[9] Ecclesiastes 7:20; Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23
[10] Matthew 10:28
[11] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tikkun-olam-repairing-the-world/
[12] This passage, which provides us with the clearest depiction of Israel’s promised “Anointed One” (Messiah), begins in Isaiah 52:13-15, which reads, “Behold, My servant shall prosper, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. According as many were appalled at thee – So marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men – So shall he startle* many nations, Kings shall shut their mouths because of him; For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.” [1917 JPS] The portrayal of Messiah continues in Isaiah 53. *Note – the word translated “startle” is used in the Hebrew text in the Torah for “sprinkle,” as the priests did with the blood in sacrificial offerings.
[13] Isaiah 49:1-8; Romans 9:1-5
[14] Psalm 19:7; Hebrews 4:12