The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Summary: Being lied to is a horrible experience. God suffers this every day and he still wants to forgive us and through the redemption of his Son on the cross, have us live with him eternally.
It is nice to think I have something in common with God. Most of the time I think, “Wow, God is so far above me that it is hard to relate…” But this proverb is something I can relate to. When Solomon says, “The Lord detests lying lips,” I’m right there with him.
I don’t just dislike lying; I find it disgusting. To be clear, I am not talking about what we might call “white lies” or social niceties. Sometimes it is best if we don’t discuss our medical problems in public. Sometimes what we know is not anybody else’s business. No, the lying I detest is a bald-faced lie.
I don’t always recognize a lie right away. Sometimes, I err on the side of giving a person the benefit of the doubt. Yet, there usually is some sign that what is being said or presented is not right. A question mark of sorts because of what they say or do. Then there is the “reveal.”
You might have seen one of those ‘fixer-upper” house shows on HGTV. People take an old beat-up house and throw designers, money, equipment, and construction crews at it, and in thirty minutes of television time, the house is all remodeled, rebuilt, and looks like a million bucks. Then they bring the owners in and let them see the finished project. This is called the ‘reveal.’
When the owner walks in, they “Ooooo” and “Ahhhhh” over every little detail. Everything looks like a designer showroom because it is. None of the furniture is theirs (usually) and most of the decorations are on loan from the prop room. I usually find myself wondering what the place looks like after the new owners have moved in and lived there for a couple of months. Are there weeds in the yard? Does their furniture clash? Is the kitchen a mess?
When a liar lies, their purpose is to get you to believe what they are telling you. Their skill is in masking their actual intent behind an innocent-looking face. Their eyes have a puppy dog quality about them that makes you want to take care of them. They play on our emotions like a concert violinist plays a Stradivarius.
Then we find out the truth.
How we find out is important. Is it another lie or is it the truth? Discovering the truth is sometimes seeing what happens as opposed to what we are told will happen. It may be hours later, or days, or perhaps even years, but at some point, the truth comes to light. When it does, that part of our mind that was suspicious of the lie in the first place goes, “Ah Ha! See, I told you so!”
It is not the money we lose to the con man that hurts the most. It is the hurt we feel at being betrayed. “I trusted you…” are the words that come to mind. We remember giving them the benefit of the doubt. And there we are holding the short end of the stick, wishing we hadn’t trusted them. And that is how people become jaded.
Imagine being God. God knows what is in our hearts (Psalm 44: 20-21). He doesn’t have to wait to discover whether we are telling the truth or not. He knows. There is no delay between the lie and the disappointment.
The Lord detests lying lips, but in the end, he still allowed Jesus to be born a man and die on the cross. He still wants us to be with him. He still forgives. Yes, he delights in people who are trustworthy, and he also delights in people who repent and are humble of heart. People like you and me.
Application: Beware of liars and beware of being one.
Food for Thought: What does the word “trustworthy” mean to you?
What does the word “trustworthy” mean to you?
Someone who is trustworthy tells the truth, is able to balance truth and grace in others and tries to resolve issues peacefully, doesn’t “plot” against others, and does not like lies. I think really all those attributes speak to a person that is concerned about their relationship with God and caring for others at least as much as themselves. Being trustworthy means when the chips are down, those around you are confident that you will not waiver, in the truth for self-interest and “sell them out.”
Zechariah 8:16-17 “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
Well said, Chris.
I’ve seen a number of movies about WWII and your words make me think of the “spies” that were sent out to work behind enemy lines. They had to be trustworthy in the sense that the information they brought back could be trusted. Trust is a complicated thing!
Trustworthy is not just that people trust you, or can trust you, but that you’ve proven that what comes out of your mouth is true. Your words have been tested.
Take a preacher or a prophet. We can always test them against scripture. If they keep testing as stretching it a little bit, they wouldn’t be trustworthy because you’d hesitate before believing them. If they flat out lie, then you wouldn’t consider trusting them on anything. But if they test again and again as true to God’s word, then they have earned the trust you put in them. Just don’t stop testing them, because God’s word is too important not to check for yourself.
Now, not everything is so easy. Suzzy says this and Jerry says that, but they can’t both be telling the truth. So who is?? I wish it was as easy to check. Sure sometimes there are witnesses, but so often ‘he said, she said’ ends up with no one being trusted.
Thank you, A.
It is a complicated issue. I appreciate your thoughts on testing for truth using the Word of God.
Excellent Word of God! So refreshing to read while at work! Great daily reminder: God hates liars! It’s easy to excuse ourselves when we lie (we rationalize and make excuses for ourselves) but we condemn others & get into offense when we’re lied to! God hates all lies: big or small, spoken or in actions….no excuses! When we stand before God, nothing will be hidden! Amen!
Kathy,
Thank you for joining in today! I am encouraged by your affirming words. Thank you!
07-21-2022, Proverbs 12:22, What does the word “trustworthy” mean to you?
God’s word tells us to test everything; hold fast to what is good, with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
1 Thessalonians 5:12, Romans 12:3, Mark 12:31
We are to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Trust in the Lord with all our heart, and do not lean on our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight our paths. We trust God as our salvation. We have no fear because the LORD himself, is our strength and our defense and He has is our salvation.”
Colossians 3:2, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 12:2
People operate in a world within limits they chose to establish. Only God is trustworthy “without limits”, He already knows everything, as our Father He desires a relationship with us. We are wise to turn to Him in all things.
Ron,
Interesting thoughts!
1. Test everything. Yes, I agree. That may be hard to do, but it is a great premise.
2. Set our minds on things above. – This is important because it establishes the heavens as our reference point for measuring truth.
3. Turn to God in all things. ‘Nough said!
Interestingly, these points came to the surface as I read the Bible.