Your Daily Devotional for August 24, 2007

 

August 24,  2007

 

 

Keeping the Truth

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

 

Exodus 20:16

 

 

A USA Today poll found that sixty-five percent of high school students said they would cheat on an important exam. Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. Many people will lie and think nothing of it. The book The Day America Told the Truth says that ninety-one percent of those surveyed, lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and thirty-six percent lie about important matters.

 

Our world has lost the sacredness of the truth. Many people do not value the truth as they once did. While the world thinks nothing of telling a lie, God calls us to preserve the truth in our lives. We must obey God's ninth commandment not to lie. If we hope to preserve truth in our lives, we must recognize Satan's plot against the truth.

 

The devil seeks to question the truth. Satan has been fighting the truth since the beginning of creation. Genesis 3:1 says, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" The devil attacked the very truth of God to get man to fall.

 

The devil is determined to attack the truth because God is truth! Titus 1:2 says, "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." God and His Word are the standard of truth. Over the years, the devil has tried many ways to discredit God and His truth. We must be careful to preserve truth in our lives by not believing Satan when he questions the truth.

 

Satan also seeks to change the truth. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Our world often makes what is true and right seem wrong. Not many people respect telling the truth anymore. Many people would rather lie to profit than to tell the truth. In a society that disregards truth, as God's children we must stand up for truth.

 

God shows us the seriousness of lying in Acts 5:1-4: "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Even if our world doesn't mind lying, God still considers it a sin. We must be careful to not get caught up in the world's thinking regarding the truth. We must preserve the truth and seek always to be truthful.

 

Are you being truthful in your life? Do you value the truth as God does? Even though others would criticize us for doing what is right and telling the truth, we must obey God's command to preserve the truth. Spend time in prayer right now, and ask God to help you tell the truth today.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Reading

Psalm 116-118 • 1 Corinthians 7:1-19

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