Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Crux. We’re continuing our exploration into the Proverbs.
Much of the wisdom in the Proverbs lies around truth telling and deceit. Proverbs 12:19-20 fit into that mold very well.
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Deceit is in the hearts of those who devise evil, but the counselors of peace have joy.
Why is it that telling the truth is so important? Why is deceit so frowned upon? One reason could be because a person’s word is only as good as it is believable. Our God created us to be His image, His representatives, and we know that He cannot lie.
While God doesn’t lie and men do, it might seem impossible for any man to “endure forever.” Of course, if we were to rely solely on human strength, that would be true. We know that Jesus, who was God in the flesh, never told a lie, and he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
In other words, truthful lips do endure forever.
Only For a Moment
These words “forever” and “moment” are not descriptive of the physical lips themselves. We know that all flesh will die, but the spirit of those who belong to God through Christ will live forever. When Proverbs says “truthful lips” will endure forever, it means the truth. The truth endures forever. But a lie is a temporal thing. it hastens to its own destruction. Momentary and fleeting.
Evil people harbor deceitfulness in their hearts. All that they are is based on lies. They build houses of cards like Lego towers, but the Lego towers are more reliable. By contrast, those who relish in peace are joyful.
Is your life built on solid ground? Are you deluding yourself in what you believe? Do you know someone who is?