“Lord, rescue me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2 CSB
Lying is something we all do, whether we admit it or not. From big lies to little lies, Psychology Today studies show the average person lies several times a day. We’re born liars. Think of the two year old, sitting in a mess of cheerios, having spilled their bowl on the floor. If you ask them if they spilled the bowl, the typical answer is “No.” All done with a cute look on their precious face that indicates they are lying. No one taught them to lie, it’s a natural defense mechanism. Lies spill easily off of our lips, from telling someone you like their outfit when you don’t, to lying about your schedule so you don’t have to do something you don’t want to do. Lying comes natural to us. Even George Washington, known for telling his Daddy the truth about chopping down the cherry tree, is actually a lie. It never happened.
According to an article from National Geographic titled, “Why We Lie: The Science Behind Our Deceptive Ways,” the top four reasons we lie, are to cover up a mistake or misdeed, to gain financial benefits, for personal advantage (other than money) and avoidance (to escape or evade other people). No one understands our lying nature better than God. He understands it is a battle we all struggle with inside of ourselves. After all, He is our Creator, there is nothing about us He doesn’t know. Psalm 139:1 says God has searched us and He knows us. That means He knows our lies too, the ones we tell ourselves and the one we tell others.
So what are we to do? If we are all liars, how do we combat that? The answer is God. We turn to Him for truth. Paul, in his letter to the Romans puts it this way: “Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about Him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” We submit ourselves to God and let Him do the work in us that needs to be done. He’ll help us find the truth, in our own lives and in the lives of others. Jesus, as He stood before Pilate being questioned gives us this truth: “In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37 NIV
If we seek after Jesus, He’ll reveal the truth to us. He’ll rescue us from our lying lips and our deceitful tongue. Let’s use this Scripture today to invite Jesus’ truth into our lives.
Lord, we’re sorry we so easily lie. We’re sorry we lie to ourselves and we lie to others. Rescue us today from our lying lips and our deceitful tongues. Help us to seek the truth Jesus came to share with us. Help us make it a part of our daily lives. We can’t do it without you. (Psalm 120:2 CSB). In Jesus name we pray. Amen
