• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Bible Reflection He will deliver

He will deliver

Posted on November 9, 2021 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments


These verses are on my mind as I write this post:

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”

Psalm 120:1–2, ESV

The psalmist starts with the understanding that his prayer is heard. What is his prayer?

His prayer is to be delivered from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.

We need to look no further than the playground of our youth to find examples of lying lips and deceitful tongues. It seems that there is always someone nearby who uses their words to hurt rather than heal. As we move into adulthood, we find people at work, and unfortunately, in the church who practice hurtful speech. It is even worse when the deceit comes from a family member or close friend.

My understanding of what it means to be delivered from them has morphed recently. Nowhere in Scripture are we promised that we will not encounter people who lie and practice deceit. People say things that hurt us. Jesus went to the cross at the hands of such people.

But we are delivered from their power to make us respond in an inappropriate way. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can acknowledge the untruth in their speech, we can even acknowledge the hurt that it causes, without lashing out or being overwhelmed or destroyed in the process.

Be angry (acknowledge the hurt) but do not sin (respond inappropriately). God will deliver you from the lies and deceit.

I bet you will have an opportunity to practice this today.

If you are encouraged by this post or would like to make a comment, please use the comment form below to offer your feedback. If you are reading this in an email and would like to comment, you can reply to the email or click on the “Read in browser” link below to go to the web page where you can enter a comment. I enjoy hearing from you.


Filed Under: Bible Reflection

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

No Death

Death is Dead

Deuteronomy 14:1b-2 You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. […]

Not perfected in love

I am thankful for the words of Jesus in John 8, when he told the woman caught in sin, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

An attitude of gratitude

In his book “Overcoming Toxic Parenting” Rick Johnson writes the following about having a positive attitude: “Part of having a good attitude is developing gratitude for what we have. Do you have a faithful spouse and children who love you? Then you are blessed beyond words. Be grateful. Do you have a home to live […]

Livefyre

Share your favorite Bible Verse

Update: Attempts at Honesty is no longer using Livefyre or Sidenotes for comments. This change was made for several reasons; the main reason is the negative effect Livefyre had on page load speed. Also, Livefyre limited commenting to those who are willing to create a Livefyre account and Livefyre controls all the comments. I’d rather […]

Research

Hypothesis, research and faith

The difference between science and faith is not one of method. The difference is what data are allowed to be considered. You may disagree with the presuppositions, but Christian thinkers follow the same methods of investigation and analysis that scientists follow.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
May 2023
SMTWTFS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« Apr    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2023 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in