PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH AND NATION
May our hearts be truthful to ourselves, to God and to others (Jer 9:3-9). #ToTellTheTruth
MORNING WATCH NOTES:
I am trying to answer the question, why is lying such an offense to God? Most of the culture of Judah (and ours today) had no problem with lying. But God sees lying as tragic and sinful. Some definitions for lying helped me to begin to understand why God hates lying so much: cheating, thwarting, subverting, exaggerating, perversion, sneaky, dishonesty, faithless, defrauding, deceitful, falsehood, misleading, double-dealing, misrepresenting, diluted, full of guile, two-faced, unreliable, tricky, shifty.
But the word that got my attention was, “prevarication.“ It means to straddle; it comes from a word meaning, “to bend outwards or bow-legged.“ The Hebrew word used here reveals “lying” as to bend (note v3), to be crooked (Jeremiah uses this word more than any other OT book) Ultimately it means to shape or bend our words in such a way as to deceive and/or hurt others. It is this intention of the heart that so raises God’s ire. That is why “truth telling” is included as a criterion for entering into worship of God (Psm 24:3-6). “Truth,” according to God, “will set you free” (Jhn 8:31,32).
Lord, this ol’ sentry has known his share of “lying” days. May it now and forever be that a heart of truth be my greatest asset with God and man.
The Prayer Sentry 