Wednesday 1 Sep 2021

September 1: Proverbs 26:18-19
 
Key Verse: Proverbs 26:19
is one who deceives their neighbour and says, ‘I was only joking!’
 
Devotion:
How many times have you told a white lie to a friend, something which you thought would help or defend them in the long run? I know I have done this, and I also know I have been on the receiving end of the backlash when the other person found out the lie I told. If we really do want to help the people around us, we should stick to the truth because we don't have to continually cover up truths; they are the truth!
 
It is often a very hard decision to make when we are faced with having to tell a friend something they do not want to hear, or something which may hurt them; but when we are faced with the backlash and having to deal with the extra hurt and having to face our friend with all these new things, the small hurt in the beginning is a very small thing compared to the raft of deceit we would otherwise have to overcome.
 
God wants us to know the truth about Him, about the earth and about how we live. He made sure the right people got to know the truth so they would spread that truth to as many people as possible. God knew the path to take which would cause the least amount of hurt – the path of truth.
 
Let us follow the example given to us by God, by His prophets, by the disciples and, most importantly, by Jesus Himself. We need to stick with the truth and ensure we spread nothing but the truth. God will guide us when we are faced with the hurt of other people. Don't forget we are all His children and He will do what He can to make sure we have to face the least amount of hurt so we can experience the greatest amount of His love and peace!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to comfort people with lies?
 
How many more lies have to follow those lies to keep those people comforted?