- araratchurch
- Jun 2, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 11, 2022
“But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.”
Psalms 63:11 NKJV
There’s a joke that goes: how do you know when a politician is lying? Answer: their lips are moving. Now, given, I feel certain that there are still some politicians who value the truth and who do not knowingly tell a lie. But I have seen that there are many numbered in that group who will say whatever it takes to get themselves in a position of power, to keep that position of power, as well as to stay out of jail. They conjure lies out of whole cloth with seeming impunity.
I hate lying. As my sons were growing up I used to remind them that they cannot be forced to say anything; but, when they open their mouth, make sure the truth comes out.
The fact is, we have all—in one way or another—been guilty of lying at some point. For that, we need to repent, staying humble before the Lord. And, we need to make sure that what comes out of our mouth is the truth as weighed in God’s balance.
Yes, lies have led to everything from false imprisonment, to murder, to the taking over of governments with “bloodless” coups, and beyond. You see, although lies are often used in defense of our wayward behavior, lies are also a weapon.
We see all through the Scriptures incidences where people hired liars to bear false witness against someone whom they wanted to see destroyed. One of the first examples that may come to mind is that of how Ahab and Jezebel dealt with Naboth (1 Kings 21). You see, King Ahab of Israel tried to convince Naboth the Jezreelite to sell the vineyard Naboth owned next to the king's palace. When he refused, Ahab complained to his wife, Jezebel, who—long story short—hired false witnesses against Naboth, leading to his execution.
I’ll admit, many times it seems as though liars are getting by; whereas those who are actually telling the truth, are being accused of committing falsehoods. Now, that’s definitely a recipe for frustration, if not worse.
I like how the proverbial writer puts the ultimate fate of liars:
“A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.”
Proverbs 19:5, 9 NKJV
In our portion from Psalms today we see David speaking of enemies who had lied against him. Ultimately, he is encouraged in the Lord, knowing that the Lord will see to it that liars do not go unpunished.
People given to habitual lying would do well to consider the prophetic word regarding their ultimate fate:
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.””
Revelation 21:7-8 NKJV
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Revelation 22:14-15 NKJV
Our part is to make sure that we do not participate in any kind of a lie. And when others do lie, and when their lying affects our lives, we must remember that ultimately, truth will prevail.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Liars will be cut off.
- araratchurch
- Jun 2, 2022
- 3 min read
“Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.”
Psalms 62:1, 5 NKJV
I saw on the news recently that at a sporting event, somehow or another the word got around that there was a threat (an active shooter, a bomb, something). Well, you see the people running and screaming, pushing and shoving, as they try to escape the stadium. But, this time there was no active shooter, there was no bomb; but many people were injured. Why? Because—in their panic—the people hurt themselves and others! As a matter of fact, any kind of sudden crisis situation in groups of people, will yield all sorts of clamorous behavior.
Think about it, it’s the way we start out our lives: if we need something (we’re hungry, we need a diaper change, we’re afraid, etc.), we cry, yell, scream, and make a commotion. But let’s face it, unless you’re screaming out for help or to warn other people, all that yelling and screaming and running around in panic, only makes things worse.
Several years ago, a nightclub caught on fire, causing the people to all rush the exit at once. Tragically, they literally created a human logjam, causing many needless deaths. So, yes, it is human nature to panic in sudden crisis and to express that verbally and physically.
Additionally, even when a crisis is not sudden, we are still tempted to be “noisy” with the expression of our angst and suffering. But again, unless you are sharing your heart to ask agreement in prayer, all that feedback is accomplishing is compounding your trouble.
Now, in our relationship with the Lord, there are times when we do cry out to Him with our voice and our spirit. But then there comes a time, when waiting for the answer, we must not be noisy with complaints, foolish statements, or anything else that impedes the process of deliverance.
I’m thinking of the time when the children of Israel stood with the Red Sea on one side of them and the approaching army of Egypt on the other; there is literally no route of escape. And yet, as they begin to panic, Moses instructs them to be still.
“Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.””
Exodus 14:13-14 AMP
Had they panicked, they surely would have been destroyed!
In our portion from Psalms today (as well as at many other times) we see David expressing his resolve to wait for the Lord, quietly. He has made his need known to the Lord; he has cried out to Him; now it’s time to show his faith and confident trust by being quiet and still.
Full disclosure: I’m one of those people who screams easily when suddenly frightened, so I get being noisy. But when our noisiness and clamorous behavior are indicating a lack of trust in the Lord, we may soon find ourselves in a worse situation because of our own drama.
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
Be quiet when waiting for God’s help.
- araratchurch
- May 31, 2022
- 2 min read
“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalms 61:2 NKJV
We’ve all seen the frightening images. Somebody—driving along in their car—tried to cross a flooded out area and now finds themselves surrounded by dangerous flood waters. Having climbed out of their flooded car, they now stand on the roof, begging for help.
I remember the horrifying images of people standing on their house roofs, waiting for help in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Again, they waited for help, knowing they would soon have no place to stand. Tragically, for some, help never came.
I can remember being overwhelmed by a big wave in the ocean. At this particular time I was not able to swim and I desperately sought to make it back to where I could put my feet down. It’s not a good feeling.
Sometimes, in our own lives, it seems that we are being overwhelmed by threatening circumstances. It may seem as though our whole world is being flooded by trouble; and we are standing on a temporary place of “safety,” hoping for a rescue.
In our portion from Psalms today we see David, having found himself in overwhelming circumstances, crying out for the Rock of his salvation. This plea was often repeated from his lips. And, the Lord was always ready to extract him from a dire situation:
“He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.”
Psalms 40:2 NKJV
Yes! Quicksand! That’s how being overwhelmed can feel. You know you’re in trouble, headed for some dreadful end; and you desperately hope for a rescue!
I have a copy of a cartoon that aptly puts how we sometimes feel. It features a disheveled looking fellow, hair standing on end, and craziness in his eyes. The man is saying, “I try to take it one day at a time; but lately several days have ganged up against me.”
If you can identify with that cartoon character’s sentiment—and David certainly could—just know that the Lord is ready and willing to put your feet back on the solid Rock. That solid Rock is a person: Jesus Christ!
For today let us know and understand what David knew:
When you are overwhelmed; you need to run to the Rock.