Day 8: Discerning the Truth

Jesus was never fooled. Nobody ever deceived Him. No matter who it was – rich or poor, religious or not religious, man or woman. Whoever came to Him, Jesus discerned the truth. He saw into their inner motives. He knew what they were after. He knew just how to reach them and touch them where they needed to be touched – whether it was spiritually or whether it was physically. This was a result of His commitment to doing God’s will. Jesus said:

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 5:30 NASB)

That’s something, I have to confess, that I covet. It’s the ability to judge aright. Too many times I’ve been fooled by people. I’ve misunderstood situations, and I have made wrong decisions and regretted them later. I have been giving a lot of thought to this in my own life. How can we avoid foolish judgment and wrong appraisals of people and situations? I think the key is given to us there. Jesus said, "My judgment is just, My discernment is accurate. I see things the way they are. Why? Because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

Jesus’ judgment was not clouded by His own desire to get His own way, to do His own thing. He was, as it were, in neutral until the Father moved Him. He waited for the Father’s revelation. He waited for the indication of the Father’s will and then He made a just and accurate judgment.

What wonderful outworkings of doing the will of God we see in Jesus’ life: physical restoration, a proper vision of the situation, and just judgment or impartial discernment. Let His example inspire us today to seek to do God’s will in our lives too.