“He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
(Proverbs 12:17,19,22 NKJV)
During the occupation of the Netherlands from 1940-1945, a lot of people listened to Radio Orange, a Dutch radio program aired by the BBC European Service on behalf of the Dutch Government in exile in London. The programs were typically 15 minutes long. My parents always listened, as did many people in the Netherlands. It was the only way to get the truth as to what was going on in the war.
On May 13, 1943, all radios were confiscated by the occupying forces, but Dad did not turn in his radio. We had a big workshop at the back of our property, and that is where he hid the radio. In the evening, he would go and listen to the broadcast from London. If he had been caught, he would have been killed. One person in our area was betrayed by a neighbour, was taken away, and was never seen or heard from again.
During that time, false information was told by the occupiers to make things look better than they actually were. The same thing is happening now — in Russia — so we are told. We certainly believe that what we are told here is the truth, for we can see every day on television the atrocities being inflicted on the people of Ukraine. Yet, apparently, the people in Russia are being told a completely different story: false propaganda and lies.
This is nothing new. The same thing happened when Jesus was taken for trial to Pilate by those who despised Him:
“And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.’ Then Pilate asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ He answered him and said, ‘It is as you say.’ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no fault in this Man.’ But they were the more fierce, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.'”
(Luke 23:2-5 NKJV)
Pilate openly declared that he could find no fault in Jesus, as much as admitting that he believed Jesus to be telling the truth and the chief priests to be lying. We know that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and all the lies told by the authorities could not change that.
Because of lies and false accusations, Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, and was buried, but arose from the grave on the third day and ascended into heaven, where He rules with God the Father. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Truth, and we can count on the Truth to prevail!
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, there are times when we witness the telling of lies, and we pray that You will give us the ability to discern what is true and what is not. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Copyright © 2022, by Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission