Planned Lying

# 464 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 7:21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit..... (Mr 7:21,22) Next on the list of “evil things,” is deceit. When you and I hear the word deceit, we automatically thing of lying. But deceit goes much deeper than mere lying. The word in the Greek means, “to decoy or trick with bait.” Deceit might be called “planned lying.” It's an attempt to cover our sins by covering our tracks. And so we take precautionary measures hoping no one will see us enter the abortion clinic, or the motel room, or the internet chat room or the porn site.

We scheme against others and sometimes ourselves in order to get something we feel we need. The heart's bent toward deception plays out in so many different scenarios. We see it in advertising, relationships, false prophets, and even in justifying our own sins. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that , "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” And 1 Jn 1:8 we read, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

The covering or justifying of our own sins is perhaps our deadliest deception. Listen to the words of David as he dealt with the pain of hiding his sins of adultery and murder: When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. (Ps 32:3) In denying his sin, who was he really deceiving? Himself!

Are you guilty of deceit? Here's the solution. Admit your sin! It's what David did when God sent the prophet Nathan to him to confront him on his sin. He said, "I have sinned against the LORD." (2 Sam 12:13) And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die”

Don't let deceit get the upper hand in your life, there is no sin that you or I have committed that the Lord won't forgive. Cling to the promise of 1 Jn 1:9 and put it into practice! 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.