You know it to be true. We all have a self that we present to the world, and then there is the inner self that only a few might be aware of and only God really knows. The inner self can be hidden from everyone else and even yourself, but it can never be hidden from God. God is the only One who knows your true inner self. He desires you to know what He knows, and He desires you to know His truth in that same place.

What does that mean? Psalm 51:6 says, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” What is the inner part of you? How does God teach you in that place? This verse is contained in King David’s great psalm of repentance written after he accepted that he had sinned greatly by having an affair with Bathsehba and arranging the end of her husband’s life. I’m sure that David did not face the truth in his inner self when he was carrying out his lustful escapades. He began numbing himself from the place deep inside that knew he was wrong to have the affair and then arrange for the husband’s demise. He had become so detached from that part of himself that when his friend/prophet/spiritual leader, Nathan, told him the tale of his sin in a story about a man and a lamb, David did not even consider the truth about his own life. He was quick to judge another man and demand justice regarding an animal, but his crimes involved the lives of human beings. If you want to read the story yourself, it is found in 2 Samuel 12.

It is easy to lose touch with truth in our inner parts and replace the wisdom God wants us to know in that inmost place. This is illustrated poignantly during Jesus’ trial by Pilate. Pilate has this discussion with Jesus in John 18:37-28.

“You are a king, then! said Pilate. Jesus answered, You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. What is truth? Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

God is the only source of truth. Pilate looked into the face of God and asked the same question we are asking today, What is truth? Pilate heard Jesus’ answer that He is truth. When God desires truth in our inward part, He desires that each of us will accept the truth of Jesus as the hope of our souls.

In the inmost part of me is where God desires truth. It is a truth that will set me free to see myself for who I am. Truth will cause me to realize that nothing about me is too much for God to overcome.

I don’t know how you know for sure that you have the truth God desires in the inmost parts, but I have had experiences of it. I sense that I am living in truth in my inmost part when I realize that I haven’t put myself down in a long time. I see the truth when I can see my sins more painfully than those who sin against me. I see it when I can be put down by others without feeling down on myself. All of this is evidence of truth in my inmost part.