How many of us live believing the lie?  I found myself wondering recently, how many lies do I battle or do I buy into on a daily basis?  This is important to me because decisions I make based on truth are always going to be better decisions than any choices I choose based on a lie.  These can be the lies others tell me, those I tell myself or those the enemy of my soul (and yours) perpetually proclaims to me in the hope that I will live like I believe his lies over the truths of my Heavenly Father.

My enemy’s voice is loud as a roaring lion, as soft as a slithering, hissing snake whispering words of doubt and deceit.  Others’ voices surround me, filling my head with words sounding wise in their own ears, but having no substance in reality.  They exalt what should not be glorified and destroy what should not be torn down.  Over all this, my own voice speaks alternately false condemnation or false exaltation of myself and others, that should not be.  I long for and listen only to the voice of truth.  This requires constant vigilance, as I seek the solitude necessary to hear this voice.  Yet I find that with practice of this pursuit I can hear this vital voice amid, in spite of and above whatever voices assail me at the moment.

It is the still small voice that sustains my soul.  “Be still and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46:10)  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”  “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word  is truth.”  (John 16:13, John 17:17) What are the lies so prevalent in our culture and in our own thinking?  I am told everything from God doesn’t exist to, He exists but He is unknowable or that He doesn’t care about me.

This is not true.  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  (Romans 1:20)   ” ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you’,  declares the Lord,”  (Jeremiah 29:13-14)  “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.”  (Psalm 145:9)   God exists,  He can be found by me and He cares for me because He created me for relationship with Him.

How often have I believed the lie that God doesn’t see me or see my struggle?  Do  I believe the lie that God doesn’t feel my pain, doesn’t bear my burden, doesn’t hear me when I call out to Him, or worse, He hears me but He just doesn’t care?  Or He cares but He’s not able to do anything about it.

The truth?  “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her:  ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’ ”  (Genesis 16:13)   “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”  (Job 23:10)   Both Hagar and Job knew and experienced the truth; God saw them, He knew them, He heard them, He came to them and He cared for them.

More truth.  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  (Psalm 34:18)  “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”  (Psalm 68:19)  “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.”  (Psalm 18:6)  “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”  (Isaiah 65:24)

For every lie there is a truth.  Truth continued, lest I think my Heavenly Father doesn’t know my circumstances or doesn’t care about them.  “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:29-31) One translation reads, “apart from the notice of your Father”.  Nothing escapes His notice; He sees and He cares.

More truth.  “The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.”  (Psalm 145:9)  “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

More truth.  God not only cares, He is able and willing to be our provider and protector.  “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32)  “You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”  (Psalm 145:16)  “and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  (2Cor. 9:8)

For every lie there is a truth.  “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:32)  I can choose to believe the lie or I can seek out the truth. The enemy of my soul will whisper that there is no god, while all around me, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.”  (Psalm 19:1-3)

There are those who would tell me God is uncaring, too judgmental and punitive. But I know His compassions to be new every morning, that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13) and that He doesn’t want anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:9)  So much so that Jesus came to live among us, die in our place, conquer death and return to His home in glory to prepare a place for me and anyone else who calls upon His name.

“For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)

Do I believe the lies?  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”  (Proverbs 14:12)   For every lie there is a truth.  I will continue to seek and to listen to the voice of truth, the still small voice that can be heard above and amid the clamor and the chaos.  “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”  (Isaiah 40:8)  Truth endures, truth prevails, lies will be exposed and lose their power.  Lies enslave, truth sets free.  I choose truth.

sincerely,                         Grace Day