Liars

1 I love the Lord, because He has heard [and now hears] my voice and my supplications.

2 Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.

3 The cords and sorrows of death were around me, and the terrors of Sheol (the place of the dead) had laid hold of me; I suffered anguish and grief (trouble and sorrow).

4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I beseech You, save my life and deliver me!

5 Gracious is the Lord, and [rigidly] righteous; yes, our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He helped and saved me.

7 Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For You have delivered my life from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling and falling.

9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

10 I believed (trusted in, relied on, and clung to my God), and therefore have I spoken [even when I said], I am greatly afflicted.

11 I said in my haste, All men are deceitful and liars.

Psalm 116:1-11

There's been a great deal of furore in the news about whether or not some people in the public spotlight have lied: Boris Johnson, Prince Andrew and Novak Djokovic have all taken a beating on this account.

Something inside of us loves to point the accusing finger at these folk as if we've never, ever told a "porky" to get us out of a tight spot!

I'm not excusing any of the above characters - no way. However, I am saying, let's take a good look at ourselves.

What did Jesus say about removing the plank from our own eye before trying to get the speck out of our brother's eye?

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:3-5

The Bible is very clear about the human state: "all men are liars" - no one has always told the truth.

You only need to read Scripture in order to see that it is full of instances where characters lied - Abraham, Isaac, Joseph's brothers, Saul and on and on.

There does, however, seem to be some difference in the kinds of lies people tell.

Abraham & Isaac told lies about their wives - saying that they were their sisters. It didn't seem to interfere with their standing with the Lord. Yet, in the New Testament, we see Ananias & Saphira dying after lying to the Holy Spirit!

Acts 5:1-10

But a certain man named Ananias with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property,

2 And with his wife’s knowledge and connivance he kept back and wrongfully appropriated some of the proceeds, bringing only a part and putting it at the feet of the apostles.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land?

4 As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.

5 Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great dread and terror took possession of all who heard of it.

6 And the young men arose and wrapped up [the body] and carried it out and buried it.

7 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not having learned of what had happened.

8 And Peter said to her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? Yes, she said, for so much.

9 Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out [also].

10 And instantly she fell down at his feet and died; and the young men entering found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

There's a stark warning here and I need to take heed. Yes, be angry about lies of leaders, but realise that same seed is in us all - it's called "sin".

Without Jesus wiping my slate clean, I'm done for. I'm no different from anyone else.

So, I'm reminding myself that I needn't gloat so much at others or be surprised at the lies they tell. I am tarred with the same brush and have the same faults within me.

Selah