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You Can Handle the Truth

  • March 15, 2026
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
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For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints. – Proverbs 2:6-8

Even if you haven’t seen the film, you have probably heard the classic line from the movie, “A Few Good Men,” starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. Cruise plays Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a Navy attorney who is defending two Marines accused of murder. In the film’s climactic moment, Kaffee is examining Colonel Nathan Jessup, base commander at Guantanamo Bay. Kaffee suspects that Jessup had given an order to haze the deceased Marine, and that the two men who followed the order unknowingly triggered a medical condition of their victim, accidentally causing his death.

The problem is, Kaffee can’t accuse Jessup of this crime without creating significant legal consequences for himself. The examination is a cat and mouse game to see if Jessup will take the bait and admit his own guilt. Colonel Jessup is a strong, confident leader, but he is also arrogant and revels in displaying his power. His confidence comes from his training and in a total, almost maniacal belief in himself and his own abilities. This self-driven strength that led him to his lofty position within the military would ultimately be his undoing. Kaffee’s line of questioning challenges Jessup’s authority over the men under his command. His arrogance causes him to speak when prudence dictated that he should remain silent. In the seminal moment of Kaffee’s examination, he tells Jessup that he wants the truth, opening the doors of Jessup’s ego as he proclaims…

“You can’t handle the truth!”

Jessup’s response is rooted in his belief that he was all-knowing, and his decisions were too important to be questioned by this court or anyone he deemed to be beneath him. He believed that he was protecting them all from the harsh truths that only he could control. That idea was shown to be untrue, but the statement does create a thought worth exploring. In our lives, we expect people to tell us the truth. Your kids need to be honest about where they’re going and what they’re doing. Your mechanic needs to be honest about what’s wrong with your car and how much the repairs will cost. Your financial planner needs to be honest about the risks involved with your potential investments. That list can go on and on. Truth is an expectation in our relationships. Lies cause damage to our ability to trust and in many cases, one too many untruths will bring the relationship to an end.

But what do you do when the truth becomes too hard to handle? One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given was to “never ask a question unless you’re prepared to hear the answer.” I’m not saying that a lie is ever better than the truth, but there are times when knowing the whole truth can cause hurt or pain. So how should we address these moments? We turn to our Heavenly Father who is the source of all truth. Hebrews 6 explains the level of trust we can have in God, stating in verse 18, “so that by two unchangeable things, it is impossible for God to lie.” This allows “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

Put your trust in God. His word is true and His promises are kept. This is significant because of the deep love God has for us, leading Him to save us from the sin that consumes us through the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus kept God’s promise by dying and rising for us. The Holy Spirit is God’s promise to never leave us or to allow anything to separate us from His love. Whatever you face, take it to the Lord in prayer. Seek His truth in His word. Lay your concerns at His feet.

He can handle it.

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

Senior Director of Operations