July 29
Ezra 3-4
Psalm 86:1-4
Proverbs 19:8-9
I Corinthians 7:17-40
Liar, Liar!
“A false witness shall not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.”
Proverbs 19:9 ESV
Lying is one of the surest ways to bring about failure. The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon under the inspiration of God to give us wisdom to live a successful life. Throughout Proverbs, we find verses encouraging us to live honestly and always tell the truth. As Christians, we know that from a moral standpoint we should be honest and truthful. But this admonition is not just for believers. If anyone wants to be successful and prosperous, the best way to do that is to be honest. In business dealings, if you are honest and trustworthy, you are more likely to gain the respect and loyalty of others. People who are dishonest, lie to get ahead and cheat may prosper for a little while, but their reputation will get out and they will eventually get caught in their lies. People will not want to do business with someone that they can’t trust.
Some people lie to get ahead thinking that they can deceive others and progress faster in life. This may work for a time, but they will always be found out. Proverbs 21:6 tells us, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.” (ESV) Some lie to avoid punishment. They may deny wrongdoing or put the blame on others, but eventually they will face the consequences of what they did, and their lies will be revealed. Some exaggerate and embellish to make themselves look good and they end up looking foolish instead. Whatever the reason for lying, it never turns out well. Often, we get caught in a web of lies. We tell one lie and then must tell another to cover up for it and before we know it, we can’t even remember which lies we told to whom. If we always tell the truth we don’t have to remember what we have told different people to keep up the lie.
As believers, we must be trustworthy. People might not like what we have to say, but they should be able to rely on us to always be honest and tell them the truth. In Proverbs 6, Solomon tells us six things the Lord hates. Two of those six things are related to lying: a lying tongue and a false witness. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” (ESV) John 8:44 explains that Satan is the father of lies. Satan’s power is in the lie. He has no power over us except what we give him by believing his lies. We can break his power by exposing his lies. His primary weapon is lies and our defense against him is the truth. He hates truth and his goal is to get everyone to live in the bondage of lies. Jesus Himself tells us in John 8:32 that, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (HCSB) Lies lead to bondage, but the truth sets us free. May we seek to be people who live in the freedom of honesty.
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