Living in an Age of Deception

"We live in a world where trickery and deceit are found in the home, at the workplace, in the church, in government. Everywhere people are deceiving and being deceived."

Are there occasions when we believe deceitful practices are ethical because we feel the ends justify it? Imagine having a great sense of personal conviction over something. There is a goal to be achieved, but there is an obstacle. It is something you cannot personally control, so you engage in careful thought about how to proceed. Things come to mind that involve trickery and evasive actions. After carefully weighing the options, you feel that because it is of utmost importance, the means of deception is fully justified.

Have you ever heard of the Gibeonites? They were an ancient people that lived at the same time as the Jews when they entered in to take possession of their promised land. It is a story of deception.

The Gibeonites heard about the exploits of the Jews, how their army was defeating one nation after another, conquering land after land by the power of the Lord God. In an attempt to save themselves, they engaged in a detailed scheme to deceive the Jewish leaders. The Gibeonites only lived a three-day journey from the Jews, but they portrayed themselves as living in a distant land. Their goal was to convince the Jews they lived far away, were no threat to them, then make a formal agreement where they would become the Jews servants, thereby protecting themselves from a military attack. Instead of achieving this through being truthful and coming to the Jews in surrender, they engaged in an elaborate scheme of deception.

God hates deception. It is a form of lying that produces division and distrust, while taking advantage of others for selfish gain. Deception relies upon self, rather than God. Instead of trusting and waiting upon Him, a deceiving person takes matters into their own hands without regard to God or others. It is evil and subject to the unbridled wrath of heaven wherever it may be found. God will show no partiality to deceivers. When the Gibeonites underhandedness came to light, Joshua questioned them, “Why did you deceive us?” (Joshua 9:22), then declared divine punishment, “Now therefore you are cursed . . .” (vs. 23)

Initially their deceptive plan worked because good men were deceived. The Jewish leaders questioned them carefully, yet neglected one important thing. They never prayed to the Lord their God who knows and reveals all truth. Instead, they foolishly relied on their own wisdom and gave way to the schemes of the Devil without even realizing it until later.

When a cunning deceiver confesses their lawlessness to God there is mercy. Additionally, when one who is deceived confesses their fault in believing a lie, there is mercy. God can redeem and restore what deception sought to destroy. Read the rest of the story about the Jews and Gibeonites from the Bible in Joshua 9-10.

We live in a world where trickery and deceit are found in the home, at the workplace, in the church, in government. Everywhere people are deceiving and being deceived. But praise God! Even though the deceitfulness of evil is a menace, Christ is King! Because He died and rose again, He is the victor! He will bring condemnation upon the deceptive but grace and mercy will abound for those who confess and repent of their evil. They will receive His promises of forgiveness, life and peace.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, examine our hearts and reveal if there be any deceitfulness. Have we engaged in any trickery to achieve a selfish end? God of all truth, also search us and reveal if we have been deceived by a cunning and crafty soul, that we might confess our neglect of seeking your counsel. Give us wisdom and discernment to live holy and godly lives in times like these. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

A World Divided by Fear

What happens when your life, your country . . . literally the whole world is gripped by fear? Disaster! But it does not have to be that way.

Once almost an entire nation was engulfed in fear that led to a near national collapse. Upwards of three million Hebrew people fled the land of Egypt in a massive and historic exodus. Their leader was Moses, who was led by the Lord God. The Hebrews were guided from Egypt toward a promised land God had waiting for them. As they approached, Moses sent out a team to survey the land. Over a month later, the team of 12 came back and gave a report to the nation. They all agreed on the facts of what they saw, but disagreed on the conclusions. They agreed it was a bountiful land that would be good for their people, but because it was occupied and would have to be taken by force, 10 of the 12 feared they would be defeated, while two of the 12 were confident they would be victorious. Consequently, the nation immediately sided with the 10 and fear spread to every family. Though the Lord God promised they would secure the land, the people refused to believe Him.

Fear paralyzed them. It also divided the nation, created anger toward its leadership and fostered rebellion and lawlessness to the point where people planned to kill the two who encouraged obedience toward God. But praise God for the two men, Caleb and Joshua, who courageously gave a good report to their Hebrew nation and remained firm in their conclusions. In the face of death threats, with the whole nation staring down on them they never buckled, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:7-8)

Praise God for Moses. When God was angry at this fear-filled nation and had enough, Moses prayed, and because of his prayers God spared them.

Then in an interesting twist, when they learned how God’s judgment would be poured out on them for refusing to obey, they went up to take possession of their promised land, but did so out of fear. There was no faith in God or love for Him. They were godless zealots whom were defeated because God was not with them.

And praise God for Jesus. When He suffered and died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, He died for all our fears. And when He rose again from the dead, He conquered fear. And for all who turn from their sins and walk faithfully with Him, they are called overcomers by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

National fear almost collapsed the entire Hebrew nation. This is why fear is so dangerous. It is not just an emotion, but a violation of God’s holy law. Many times, God directly says, “Do. Not. Fear.”

Since March 2020 the headlines of the Covid 19 pandemic have been voiced by the 10. The data, story lines, projections, conclusions; all of it has been exempt of God and has inspired nothing but fear, creating a world filled with anger, division and rebellion. In fear people have flocked to get vaccinated. In fear people have risen up to protest getting vaccinated. In fear people have lashed out at government and health officials. In fear people have condemned the unvaccinated.

Though the voice of the 10 broadcasts fear across the globe, it does not get the final word. God does. Let us be wise and discerning and not fall for the emotional tricks that lead to fear. Let us be firm in our resolve to believe the Word of God no matter the odds, let it produce a spirit of optimism and hope. And instead of lashing out at our opponents, pray for them as Moses did.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, examine our hearts to see if fear is a controlling element in any of our decisions. Reveal if we are allowing fear to gain a foothold through things we are reading, watching or listening to. If fear has a home with us, we repent. We admit our sin and ask you to help us to turn from fear and completely trust in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

How to Know What is the Right Thing to Do

How do we know information that we are reading, watching, listening to or being told is accurate? Maybe we will say, “Because it comes from my mom”, “It sounds believable”, “Everyone is saying it”, “I read it on the internet.” Since we live in a time of disinformation, fact-checkers and fake news, how do we know what is true and thereby make important decisions, comments or accept certain beliefs on things?

As we close out 2021 and begin 2022, let us call out for wisdom and seek it like vast treasures hidden in our backyard. The Bible speaks of people who “. . . have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14). Discernment is a form of wisdom. It causes a person to stop and consider, and provides understanding and good judgment.

When what is true could be false and what is false could be true, and the implications of such are costly, we need discernment. When the pressure is on from family, friends or others, we need discernment. When our job, health, finances, or our very lives are on the line, we need discernment. It helps us see more clearly what is truth versus error and good versus evil, so we can wisely respond to what is before us.

How do we practice godly discernment? 1. Pray. Ask God to provide you with discernment or understanding over your situation in order to make a wise decision. 2. Read the Scriptures. It is the source for wisdom, where God will show you something in His Word to give needed guidance. 3. Identify the costs. There are consequences to decisions, so identify what they are for deciding or believing one way or the other. 4. Identify pressures. List out the various pressure points you are feeling to go this direction or that. 5. Research. Take time and effort to read, ask questions, learn and gain as much information as you can. 6. Getting advice. Search out a few people you would consider to be wise, maybe with differing points of view, and get their input. 7. Trust God and act. After you have done all this, there comes a time to stop dithering, place your complete faith in God and make a decision.

Godly discernment is a faithful guard, protecting us against lies, deception and manipulation. It can literally save our life and the lives of those whom we love. But there is a high cost. It means we question things when we are discouraged from doing so. It means we may have to separate from the crowd, while we go one way and they another. Though the cost is great, the benefits are worth it. There is a peace that abounds knowing it is well with our soul when we have chosen to do right, no matter the outcome. There is also a sense of confident trust in God, knowing we have obeyed Him, as best we understand, and He will take care of the unknown.

How do we obtain such a form of wisdom, that the Bible calls more valuable than silver or gold? It comes through a covenant relationship with Jesus. He is the very embodiment of wisdom and discernment. When we turn from our own understanding and disobedience, then call upon Him with all our heart, He will save us and give us the gift of Himself and His wisdom.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, open the eyes of the confused, frustrated, fearful and anxious. Give them godly discernment in the situation they face. Turn them towards yourself, for you are the very wisdom they so desperately need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”