Beyond the Weekend

July 28 | Truth Proverbs

July 28, 2020

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. Proverbs 12:22

Read: Proverbs 12:22

Listen: Proverbs 12

TODAY’S MESSAGE

The book of Proverbs talks several times about the importance of being truthful (such as in Proverbs 25:18, 27:6 and 19:22). Honesty and telling the truth were clearly crucial to the writer. Repetition is a prompt that we should pay attention. Proverbs 19:22b says, “Better to be poor than a liar.” It is as if the writer says to the poor, “It could be worse; you could be a liar.”

Why is honesty so important? One reason is that truthfulness is critical to any healthy society and individual. Friends, employers and employees look for truthfulness in people they wish to relate. For this reason, honest people tend to gain friends and experience rich relationships, while dishonest people tend to lose them. Honest employees move up in companies, while dishonest ones eventually face hardship. Honest employers have loyal employees, but dishonest ones find trouble. Honesty helps us succeed in relationships.

The more significant reason the author highlights honesty is anchored in the very character of God. Truth matters to him because he is trustworthy. So we not only benefit ourselves when we tell the truth, but we bring delight to our God. He loves it when our words and actions are honest because it brings him honor and joy—and it develops our character more like his.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Spend a few minutes journaling in a notebook or your mobile device about areas where you find it challenging to be truthful. Then ask God’s Spirit for help reflecting God’s character of truthfulness in that area.


Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.

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