Say What Now?
“Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. ”
In the above passage, the psalmist begins by asking a single question worded in a couple of different ways: who can abide in the Lord’s presence? Then, he continues the passage by answering his query. I think we can all agree, based on the rest of the chapter, the one who can dwell in God’s presence is one who is upright, good, and seeking to do God’s will, right? It’s pretty straightforward.
Still, as I read through chapter 15, a single phrase jumped out and practically slapped me in the face. It’s a simple group of words, easily overlooked, but God used it to remind me of a powerful truth—truth itself. “Speaketh truth in his heart.” Notice, it doesn’t say this man (or woman) speaks truth from the heart. It plainly states in the heart. Upon recognizing that, I was forced to examine what things I was speaking in my heart, and I was shocked to discover more lies than truth.
“I’ll never get better. No matter what I do, my health will continue to get worse until I waste away.”
“I’m such a loser. Look at what everyone else is accomplishing and look where I am.”
“We’ll never make it to the mission field. People don’t care enough to give to missions anymore.”
“I might as well quit while I can. This road is obviously far too difficult for me.”
“I’m supposed to be a helpmeet to my husband, but I guess that’s just one more thing I’m failing at.”
I wish I could tell you the list ends there, but it doesn’t. And the saddest part is these vicious lies spin about in my heart and mind day after day. . .and night. Is it any wonder then I often feel so far from God even though I’m spending time with Him daily? I read my Bible. I spend time in prayer. I also spend quiet time just resting in Him, trying to dwell in His presence. Of course, that time is often interrupted with a flurry of lies that threaten to drown me with their constant outpouring. So, I go about my day, hoping and praying to find some peace and joy in the midst of what feels like a defeated life.
On the one hand, I’m doing the right things to live a life in step with my Savior, but in this area, I’m missing the mark. I’m not speaking the truth in my heart, especially in what I have to say about myself. I’m a harsh and cruel critic, and the enemy tries to convince me I’m only being honest with myself, but he’s a liar and cannot be trusted.
There are many verses in the Bible I can claim to replace those lies with truth. One of the most powerful and far-reaching ones is Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. That means I can get better. I can accomplish what God has called me to do. We can make it to Wales. I can continue to travel this road. And I can be the helpmeet God desires me to be. I can do these things and much more through Christ working in and through me. That’s the truth, straight from the mouth of God.
Dear one, perhaps like me, you’ve been speaking lies in your heart. If so, I urge you to replace those lies with the truth. No matter what you’re facing, God is big enough to handle it. And no matter how worthless you feel, God assures us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. If we want to spend more time in God’s presence and less time in the dumps of despair, we would do well to guard our hearts against the lies we say and believe. It makes all the difference in the world!