Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.
Psalm 85:11 (NLT)
Truth & Righteousness
I am not a Biblical scholar. I just want to throw that disclaimer out there right off the bat. But… I do routinely spend time with God, and in His Word. When I’m disciplined and humbled, I’ll even quiet myself down long enough to lend my ear to His voice. I feel like all that I have been speaking and writing and teaching about over the past 28 plus years regarding wholistic health and wellness stems out of truth. Or, at times, birthed out of deceptions revealed – the Light being shed on the darkness. I believe this is the core of the passion that burns deeply at times within me. Truth. My passion gets stirred up when I see or hear of someone being deceived about what true health and wellness is, especially when it compromises their health and their life.
Our health is wholistic – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. Each area of our life is connected and inter-related. One area can’t be worsened or improved without affecting the other areas of our lives. Therefore, I would like to start the year off with a spiritual health series, with truth being the foundation. After all, truth is key. Or more specifically, God the Creator of the universe, Who is Truth, is key – He is our foundation for all other aspects of our wholistic lives. He created us perfectly – spirt, soul and body – in His own image. But rather than me attempting to be dogmatic and claiming to know what God thinks about your health, I would like to take a more philosophical approach – more like “Spiritual Food for Thought.” More from a practical “it should stand to reason” perspective, and perhaps help you reach your own conclusion about what God says about your health.
After all, the whole reason for everything we do, including how we should take care of our health, or ways to restore our health, should first come from what God desires for us to do. Hopefully, through these upcoming blogs, your convictions and your whys will spring out of His Word and His desires for you, springboarding you into a new purpose and reason for taking charge of your health.
Let’s start with today’s scripture verse from Psalm 85:11 as it applies to Truth and build from this foundation: “Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven.” Here is the commentary from the Berean Study Bible breaking it down a bit.
Truth sprouts from the earth
The Hebrew word for “truth” here is “emet,” which conveys a sense of firmness, stability, and faithfulness. In the biblical context, truth is not merely factual accuracy but a reflection of God’s character and His covenantal faithfulness. The imagery of truth “sprouting” suggests a natural, organic emergence, akin to plants growing from the soil. This can be seen as a metaphor for the manifestation of God’s truth in the world, emerging from the ground up, symbolizing the renewal and restoration of God’s people. Historically, this reflects the post-exilic hope of Israel, as they anticipated a renewal of their land and society in alignment with God’s truth.
And righteousness looks down from Heaven
The word “righteousness” in Hebrew is “tsedeq,” which encompasses justice, rightness, and ethical conduct. It is often associated with God’s character and His divine order. The phrase “looks down from heaven” suggests a divine oversight and blessing. Righteousness is portrayed as a heavenly attribute that oversees and governs earthly affairs. This dual imagery of truth emerging from the earth and righteousness descending from heaven illustrates a harmonious interaction between divine and human realms. It reflects the biblical theme of God’s kingdom being established on earth as it is in heaven, where divine justice and truth meet and transform the world. This verse, therefore, inspires believers to live in a way that aligns with God’s truth and righteousness, fostering a world that reflects His divine order and peace.
I love the literal aspect of the first part of this verse – especially as it applies to our health “truth sprouts from the earth.” I would like to think of the things that literally sprout from the earth that are good for our health – like fruits and vegetables, and even the feed for our livestock, chickens etc. Can we look at our food as at least coming from “Truth?” Or perhaps as the Word of Truth is sprouting from the earth in the spirit, it is bringing with it the things God has placed here in the earth to sustain us – to nourish us, to bring us life?
And the second half of this verse “and righteousness looks down from Heaven.” Is it possible that when we consume truth – whether spiritual truth or literal truth – the food that sprouts from the ground, God, Who is our righteousness and Truth is looking down with a heart that is well pleased and blesses us when we partake of the things He created for us?
In Summary
What an amazing promise when we partake of His truth and His creation for us. What is one truth, as it pertains to your health, will you commit to incorporating into your new year? A truth that will please the Creator of your life so that He might bless you from above!
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Here are the other blogs in this series:
“How Committed Are You to Your Wholistic Health?”
“How Do You Know When You Get There?”
“Are You Ready for 2025?”
“How Disciplined is Your Budget?”
“Are You Burning the Candle at Both Ends?”
Pursue Your Purpose