Thought for Monday, March 18th

March 18, 2013

Deception Has A Cost

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians  6:7-8

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practice deceive!”

-       Sir Walter Scott

The story of Isaac and Rebekah’s twin boys, Esau and Jacob illustrates for us the cost of or consequences that deception can carry.

Esau being the eldest son was entitled to a special blessing from his Father; with Rebekah’s help, Jacob disguised himself as his older brother and tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing instead.

While this deception resulted in Jacob receiving the blessing: it did not come without a cost.  He had to flee in fear for his life and thus it cost him his family and everything that was familiar too him. In fact he spent many years in fear of Esau and it was not until a much later time in their lives that they were actually reconciled.

Deception is just another word for lying and we all know what the Bible says about lying.

Yet how many of us, in some form or another set out to deceive others; or even worse how many of us spend a great amount of time trying to deceive ourselves.

We know deceiving God is not an option, since He is all knowing: and always present: but often I think we believe if we convince ourselves that some of our pet sins are not as bad as some think they are that God will be convinced too.

Deception has a cost: regardless of the depth or degree of it.  It may cost us the trust of others: or it may cost us a closer connection to God: but regardless any time we set out with the objective of deceiving: we can be sure that at some point our deceptions will unravel and when they do the price we pay may not prove to be worth the prize we sought to attain.

Today’s Prayer

Father, help me accept the truth about myself: always be honest about who I am and what I do and keep me from deceiving myself in to thinking I can deceive others or You.