Sometimes we can want something more than anything else, and our sweet little innocent hearts can fabricate an aura of spirituality to legitimize our pursuit of it. Yes, our hearts have that dark ability.
Let’s travel back to Genesis Chapter 27. It was a bad scene from beginning to end. Mother Rebekah was determined that Jacob would receive the family blessing – not his older twin Esau. Now, keep in mind the Lord had already told her the oldest twin would serve the younger. But Rebekah felt she had to take matters into her own hands to help the Lord accomplish His purposes.
When it seemed that Esau, the eldest son, was going to get the family blessing from Patriarch Isaac, mama swung into high gear. “No way! It can’t happen like this. I must come up with a plan!” So she concocted a scheme for Jacob to disguise himself and pretend that he was Esau delivering to his father his favourite meal.
When Jacob arrived with the food, he was wearing his brother’s coat. Mama had attached goat hair to Jacob’s hands and neck so he would feel like hairy Esau. Smart thinking, Rebekah! Old Isaac, almost blind, was shocked the meal was ready so quickly. After all, he envisioned Esau out in the field with a bow and arrow, stalking down the animal for supper. He didn’t know that Rebekah expedited the process by using goats from the backyard.
The old man exclaimed to his son Jacob:
“How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Genesis 27:20
Ah – it sounded so spiritual and so probable! But what a distortion of the truth – a complete fabrication. How offensive to the God of truth when we drag Him into our self-concocted schemes and self-induced problems and then have the audacity to claim He was behind the scenes making it happen!
As the Lord watched the happenings in their tent that day and then listened to Jacob having the nerve to bring His Name into the big lie, how saddened He must have been over such a failure.
Our hearts are no different today. We can be just as slippery, conniving and deceitful. We can use spiritual babble as if the Lord was in lock-step with us when nothing could be further from the truth.
We say: “The Lord is good. I have seen God’s hand in it all.” That’s wonderful when it is true – but it’s nothing less than pure wicked babble when we are trying to convince ourselves or justify our wrong choices. Scarier still is when we start to believe our own lie and convince ourselves that the Lord was with us or behind our choice.
Reading our Bibles regularly, interactively, meditatively, diligently and prayerfully will help to uncover deceit and trickery in our hearts. (Hebrews 4:12)
One verse can unmask our elaborate schemes. One verse can unnerve us as we move forward boldly in the power of our wicked flesh. The Lord can use one verse to expose a sinful motive in our life. One verse can make our covered sin flash like an alarm light. One verse can set off the sirens of our conscience.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. Proverbs 12:22
“Lord, help me to appreciate today just how much You really do hate lies. Help me to be truthful with myself and with You and then with others. Preserve me from forging ahead with selfish schemes.”
Don’t hesitate to share a thought from your personal experience in the comment section below. Or, if you would like to reach out privately, click below.
