Page 18 - November 2025 - Truth & Tidings

“Like Mary, we must make a priority of serves as a model for how to encourage
being with those who share the mutual ex- younger believers.
perience of miraculous new life within.” Finally, we can appreciate the humil-
3
Second, observe the encouragement of- ity expressed. Elisabeth had been greatly
fered. Elisabeth not only praised Mary for blessed, given her Sarah-like situation. But
her faith (“blessed is she that believed”) a greater blessing was given to Mary, and
but encouraged her that God would come she rejoiced in that blessing. Not a trace of
through on His promises (“for there shall envy was evident. She epitomized Romans
be a performance of those things which 12:15, rejoicing with those who rejoice.
were told her from the Lord”). Elisabeth May the Lord give us young believers with

the faith of a Mary, but pray also that the
3 R. Kent Hughes, Luke Volume One: That You
May Know the Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Lord will grant us senior saints with the
Books, 1998), 45. encouragement of an Elisabeth.

Searching Continued from p. 329

who sees every search we make. It would in a lifetime. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians
be incredibly naïve to think that we can 2:10, “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
permanently erase our search history the deep things of God.” God searches
(incognito mode or not). Often, our search the very darkest recesses of our hearts
history is stored to generate content based and minds, and undoubtedly His search
on profile and search habits. That seems results would shock us if we were privy
powerful when you consider the billions to such an investigation.
of people searching at any moment, but
Psalm 139 reveals an infinitely more Conclusion
powerful ability to search: the searching Searching is a modern task, but an
power of God. David writes, “O LORD,
thou hast searched me, and known me. ancient imperative. Our New Testament
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine begins with one of the most positive, fruit-
uprising, thou understandest my thought ful and beneficial searches in history – a
afar off” (Psa 139:1-2). A memorable ex- search for Christ. The wise men from the
ample is King David. David was a man east “searched diligently” until they found
with little technology, but one night he the Saviour. Just as their search was peril-
allowed his eyes to view from a rooftop ous in a Roman world with little room for
a woman, Bathsheba, washing herself. God, two millennia later it remains just as
He tried to cover his tracks, but his sin is risky to navigate an equally dark digital
recorded for all to see. Today, users have world filled with danger and deception.
the ability to search and consume more Yet, there is still a star in the sky guiding
immoral and defiling content in an hour us: the Word of God – “a lamp unto our
than their ancestors might have glimpsed feet and a light unto our path.”

338 TRUTH kTidings November 2025