Topic: Embrace Truth (Open Heaven 4 February 2019)
Memorise: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”- Ephesians 4:25
Read: Proverbs 25:2-5
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Bible in One Year: Luke 18-19, Isaiah 31:1-32:8
Open Heaven 4 February 2019 Monday MESSAGE:
In the Bible, truth is presented as the nature of God which is opposed to falsehood, deception and lies. As Paul demonstrates in Romans 9:1,whenever truth is in operation, there is agreement between the human conscience and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Living a life of truth is desirable by God and receives commendation from Him. Proverb 12:22 says,
“Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
God is the essence of truth, and he expects this nature of His to reflect in the character of His children. He condemns falsehood in all forms, but takes pleasure in truth and honesty, which He regards as the hallmark of an upright person.
Truth always paints the picture of things without filtering them to suit personal preferences or vested interests. Unfortunately, one of the problems of leadership in the world today is the shortage of sincere counsel. To their undoing, the allure of office has proved to have a strong corrupting influence on many people around great leaders, including ministers of God. Even the best of men and women begin to exhibit sycophancy, flattery and systematic manipulation soon after introduction to the corridors of power, and as a result, most leaders today are either starved of the truth or presented with filtered, edited or colored version of it. The Bible refers to this act as “holding the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). Those behind this deception often claim to be acting in the best interest of their masters. They claim that keeping bad news away from them reduces their exposure to stress. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit who always strengthens and guides His children into all truth! There is therefore no need to filter the truth presented to leaders acting under God’s unction.
Sycophants and flatterers who are in the habit of editing or suppressing truth are definitely not working in the best interest of their masters. This practice is such a terrible act before God, and Romans 1:18 tells us that God’s wrath is against those who perpetrates it. Armed with the knowledge that any decision based on truth held back in unrighteousness is likely to be faulty, leaders in all spheres of life have the responsibility of ensuring that they are furnished with the truth at all times. Leaders should therefore endeavor to eliminate the dross of sycophancy and there shall come forth vessels of honor for the success of their God-given assignment. Whenever a leader works with the raw material of pure truth, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the end product is always a perfect result that is pleasing and acceptable to God.
Open Heaven 4 February 2019 Monday Prayer Point:
Father, please remove obstacles and hindrances to truth in my life in Jesus’ Name.
