You Don't Say
A couple of days ago a friend asked me if I had heard the temperature in our area was dropping into the low teens Sunday night and Monday night? I had not.
It was spring; maybe early summer, of 2020 when I stopped watching news. I stopped listening to news. I stopped reading the news.
I, like many others, began to grow this sense of distrust. Mainstream news, and news that wasn’t so mainstream, was no longer about reporting facts, but about delivering personnel, and often angry, commentary. It got bad.
I would hear something on left-leaning media that was the total opposite to what I was hearing on right-leaning media. It made me anxious, and it occurred to me one day, “you don’t need to listen.”
The name calling and the lies, it was more than I could take and remain peaceful.
I need to be able to trust that what is being said to me is true. If I do not have that trust, I will walk away. I desperately crave trust in my life. I think most of us do.
I have often thought about my grandpa on my mom’s side. If there was a constant in my grandpa’s house, it was Walter Cronkite. Well, and the Lawrence Welk Show, but he was always watching the news it seemed.
As a child, I could not appreciate what was happening. Good, honest, news reporting. Something my grandchildren may never realize. But if Walter said it, you could believe it.
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981.
During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll.
Cronkite received numerous honors including two Peabody Awards, a George Polk Award, an Emmy Award and in 1981 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter.
He reported many events from 1937 to 1981, including bombings in World War II; the Nuremberg trials; combat in the Vietnam War; the Dawson's Field hijackings; Watergate; the Iran Hostage Crisis; and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr., and Beatles musician John Lennon. He was also known for his extensive coverage of the U.S. space program, from Project Mercury to the Moon landings to the Space Shuttle. He was the only non-NASA recipient of an Ambassador of Exploration award. Cronkite is known for his departing catchphrase, "And that's the way it is", followed by the date of the broadcast. (source: wiki media dot com
Can you imagine having that sort of reputation? Simply amazing!
At the end of Cronkite’s farewell statement he said, “…Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away; they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is: Friday, March 6, 1981. I'll be away on assignment, and Dan Rather will be sitting in here for the next few years. Good night.”
Walter Cronkite died at his home on July 17, 2009, at the age of 92. The most trusted man in America.
Trust. Who can you trust? Who do you trust?
I hope she doesn’t mind me quoting her so often, but my friend Alta told me once the biggest thing she is looking forward to in heaven, is not sitting by the tree of life or lounging by the river that flows from the throne of God. It’s not seeing long lost loved ones, although that is a top priority. The number one thing she is looking forward to is to be able to listen to Jesus speak and know that every word is truth.
Truth. The opposite of a lie.
The Bible tells us that Satan is the Father of lies. John 8:44 “…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” NKJV
There are different types of lies. One we call a ‘white lie” and we commit them to maintain our social status. We lie to preserve an image of ourselves.
I found this story on line today and it reminded me of the times people lie to others when the "other" clearly knows the truth.
“I heard yelling from the kitchen. I went downstairs to find my three-year-old son had snuck into the walk-in pantry and climbed up onto the counter. Milano cookies were scattered on the shelf floor, each pulled apart into its two white halves. My three-year-old was screaming in fright, terrified and harassed by an intrigued and dive-bombing honey bee attracted to the coating of chocolate that dappled my child's face. The bee buzzed around the chocolate streaks that were concentrated around my boy’s mouth, then flit to his cheeks, forehead, hands, and pajamas where the chocolate had migrated in a sure and steady trail.
After shooing the bee out the pantry and through an open window in the kitchen, I gently lifted my son off the ledge on which he had been trapped and asked if he had been licking the chocolate off the coated cookies.
“Oh no, Dad,” he said to me in all seriousness. “Not me. I would never do that!” (Source: psychologytoday.com)
The story goes on, but the point is, we have all told little white lies, when busted in an uncomfortable position.
Humans lie. Humans are great at deceiving one another. But, Jesus will never lie to you. God cannot lie.
“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:17-18 NKJV
Meaning of: immutability: unchangeableness of His purpose. confirmed: guarantee immutable: unchangeable
Unchangeableness. I love that word when describing Jehovah! Not able to change.
God can do anything, but He cannot change His character. He is who He is, and the Bible tells us it is impossible for Him to lie. He has given us a guarantee; a lifetime warranty if you will, and it is unchangeable.
“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.” The Message Bible
I know many people have been betrayed and let down by those they trusted the most. I know the pain that comes from that sort of betrayal, but we were never meant to put our trust in other human beings. Our trust is best placed in the arms of our Savior.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV
I don’t always understand the difficult or uncertain situations I find myself in. I’m sure that can be said of all us at one time or another in our life, but God does. His track record in my life and in your life is proof. The Bible is story after story one of faithfulness and what happens when we put our trust in heaven. If you give your life to Him, I promise, He will keep His end of the bargain. God cannot lie, so when He says that He will act on your behalf, you can trust Him to do that, even if you don’t see it.
“Commit your future to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.” Psalm 37:5 NET
God cannot lie. You can trust Him with every aspect of your life. When the world around you becomes less trustworthy, that is the time to lean into the one that can always be trusted.
“And that’s that way it is”, by Jeanette Stark - January 30, 2023.