Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 19:1-5
Prov 19:1-5
1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. 4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
Eph 4:25-27
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil.
We live in a world that is filled with dishonest people. During the political seasons, we hear all kinds of things being said that are not true but are said with no shame by the one saying them. Even the “fact check” is false at times to promote their specific agenda. The “news” is filled with propaganda that cannot be believed. We hear crooked speech so much that we eventually accept it as a way of life.
But as Christians we are to be honest in all things. We are not to lie. There is no such thing as my truth or your truth. Truth is truth and a lie is a lie. When something is told that is false, it is not just misinformation, it is a lie. There is no such thing as a “small” lie or a “big” lie, if we knowingly misrepresent the truth, we have told a lie. All lying is condemned by God and is to be put away.
Honesty is the foundation of trust. We trust God because his word is always true. When he promises something, it is always done. We may not see it from our perspective, but God’s word is always true. The same goes for us; trust is built on honesty. This is true in the parent/child relationship, and it goes both ways. It is true between spouses and honesty builds trust among friends.
When this trust is broken because of a lie, it takes a long time to rebuild it, if it can ever be done at all. Trust is built over a period of years, but it can be lost in a moment. We, as disciples of Christ are to be trustworthy, we are to be honest in all things. It should never be our intent to deceive another person.
O Lord God, give me an honest and true heart so my speech will always be honest and true. I am thankful that you are always honest, and your word is always true, so I can always depend on you and trust you. I know that Jesus is truth and life, and I want to be just like him so I can have eternal life. I know that there are times that being honest brings pain or hardship, so give me strength to face it and to speak the truth in love. I humbly pray in the name of Jesus my Lord.
Robert
