Todays Bible verse and devotion all in one. Sorry Im late. My Internet has been uncooperative today. Bible Verse: Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (ESV) Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness By Don Wilton • November 5, 2013 The bearing of false testimony is strictly prohibited by God. Bearing false testimony carries with it the basic idea of fabrication, which, simply put, means to make something up, or to lie. Exaggeration fits right in with God’s prohibition because any effort to stretch the truth is, in and of itself, a fabrication. When God said, “You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16), He was definitively pointing to the heart of man. Not even a person’s creativity with the truth is acceptable to God. One wonders just how many people’s lives have been destroyed because they were falsely accused of something they had nothing to do with. There are several forms of false witness; *Spreading rumors *Turning a blind eye when truth is known. A person can simply fail to come forward with the truth without saying it is so. *Spreading gossip about another which is some of the worst forms of character assassination. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, was later accused falsely in Acts 6 and ultimately stoned to death. Bearing false is so serious it is included in the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). The question to ask yourself is if this sin has become part of your landscape. If it has, there are four steps you need to take. 1. STOP bearing false witness! Recognize this as sin before a holy and righteous God. Confess this to the Lord Jesus (1 John 1:8-9) and ask Him to forgive you for it. 2. Recognize the damage it may have caused to another person. You will have a key part to play in the healing of someone who has been hurt. 3. Go to that person. Ask them to forgive you and tell them you will do whatever you can to restore and make things right. 4. Last but not least, open your heart to the Lord. He will enable you to conquer this propensity you have to bear false witness. Finally, a word to those who are the victims of false testimony. Allow me to suggest five steps to healing. 1. Pray about it. It is not uncommon to feel hurt. Tell God everything. He loves you and identifies with your pain. 2. Stay calm. Watch the Lord work. He will bring justice, and He will convict those who have hurt you. This is what His Holy Spirit does. 3. Dtay alert and be on your guard. Don’t forget the devil is “like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). 4. Stand firm in the Lord. Claim His promises. Someone once said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God!” Believe it! 5. Trust in God’s grace. He has not abandoned you, despite all that has been said about you. He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”! (Hebrews 13:5). Scripture quotations from Pastor Don Wiltons devotion are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:43:30 +0000
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