“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NIV)
Everyone lies.
In the middle of a Presidential election, deception is rampant. Each candidate has stretched the truth more than once. People cannot have conversations with each other if they disagree on the candidate of choice. How is truth found? Only Jesus reveals the truth to us in His time. If we want to see who is deceiving us in our lives, we must seek Jesus.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NIV)
The person who deceives us the most is ourselves. Self-deception is the hardest to identify. God reveals the lies I believe, as I study and apply His word to my life. Lately, I’ve recognized the deceit I’ve told myself for decades as His word penetrates my heart. Digging deep takes effort and intentionality. We have to want to know the truth to find the truth.
Finding the truth takes work.
The first step in finding the truth is placing your trust in Jesus. Secondly, we have to allow God to search our hearts and lives, accepting what He brings to light:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV)
God gently reveals the truth. For me, when I see something I’ve never seen in myself before, it’s an “Aha” moment. For instance, Zoom has given me new insight into myself. When having a video conference, I am more aware of my facial expressions than ever. Up until now, I’ve never seen what I look like in conversation. Now I do. Through technology, God revealed truth to me I did not know. My understanding of how people see me is more precise, which helps me communicate better.
Some people prefer living in a lie than dealing with the truth. Recently, a woman in an abusive marriage sent me a picture. When I saw the reality of the situation, I did the best I could to communicate in love; they needed professional help. She didn’t receive the response well and has cut off all communication with me. My heart aches for her, but we can’t force people to face truths they don’t want to see. However, I planted seeds of truth in her heart; God will take care of the rest as I continue to water them in prayer.
Deceivers don’t fool God; in Him, we find truth.
Question of the Day:
Have you asked God to reveal the lies in your life?
Further Reading: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38 NIV, 2 Thessalonians 2 NIV, Psalm 84 NIV,
