Proverbs 26:20-28 – Deception
Verses 20-22 – If we want to stop the fire of quarrels and arguments, we need to deal with the gossip. We must remove him; stop him in his words; make him produce evidence; confront him with who he is gossiping about. This should prevent slander and put him to shame. Just as bad is a quarrelsome man. He is determined to have the last word, to stir up the fight. How often do we prefer the sharp witty response to the wisdom and grace of a soft answer. Do you watch against these sins. Do you resist the temptation to speak needlessly of the faults of others? Are you ready to give up the opportunity of telling a good story for fear of wounding a good name?
Verses 23-27 – Deception never wins in the end. God’s providence brings dark deeds to light. Some men’s sins are clearly seen in this life, others will be clearly seen on the day of judgement when God will rip the mask away, and men and women will stand before Him as they really are.
Verse 28 – Very rarely do we see a sin by itself. One sin starts another. Here, lying and hatred are linked together. Again we are warned as well against the flatterer. He may seem friendly and fun, but he causes trouble by filling us with pride and making us quick to do what he asks. Pray for wisdom to avoid the tricks of deception; grace to rise above false praise; and self-denial to be content and thankful no matter what people say about us. All these verses teach us how much God hates lies and attempts to deceive. They warn us against the common habit of being sloppy in what we say, in exaggerating or misleading others. The Christian needs to be known as a man or woman who always tells the truth.
Questions
- How should we deal with gossip?
- When will all our actions be brought to light?
- How can we deal with flattery?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would be careful to speak the truth in all we say and do.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.