Matthew 2; Exodus 22; Exodus 23; Proverbs 10

“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.” (Exodus 23:1-2 NKJV)

Justice cannot live in an atmosphere of falsehood. As God dealt with Moses and taught him the law, He dealt with the importance of telling the truth and avoiding falsehoods. He began by telling Moses not to circulate false reports. Whether a person initiates a lie or passes it on, they’re guilty of the results of the lie. When a lie fits in with what we believe, it’s easy to join the crowd and keep it going. When we do that, we multiply the evil. Whether it’s gossip among friends, careless or even malicious posts on social media, or false testimony in a court, when we lie, when we tell falsehoods, when we pass along information we “know has to be true,” only to discover it’s a falsehood later, we’re perverting justice. God has a strong sense of justice, and we don’t want to be on the wrong side of His justice.

How are you doing in the truth area? Do you speak the truth or fudge the truth? Do you find ways to make yourself look better, or others look worse by the way you tell the stories, or do you let the facts speak for themselves? We live in troubled times and the only way to begin the healing process in our polarized world is to speak the truth in love. Check your facts. Tell the truth. Always show others the greatest truth of all: God’s grace.

Lord, it’s so easy to pass along “those” stories. I’d neve make them up, of course, but my joy or my rage gets the better of me and I pass along misinformation without thinking about it. Help me to speak Your truth and show Your love to others.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.