Proverbs 4:24

Put away from you a deceitful mouth; And put devious speech far from you.

What is deceitful and devious speech? It is fraudulent and deceitful. It twists, distorts, perverts, or misrepresents what is true. Sometimes it shows up as a little white lie…or a whopper. On some occasions it’s the inflated report of your performance…or the under-reporting of someone else’s. Do you manipulate people or circumstances by bending the truth? Truth be told, I think we all violate today’s proverb more often than we would care to admit.

The Bible has a lot to say about our speech, and rightfully so. God calls out the wickedness of our hearts (Jer. 17:9) and reminds us that they are tied directly to our mouths (Mth. 12:34). Make no bones about it – God hates it when we lie (Prv. 6:17). Think about it: Jesus himself is the Truth, so when we have a deceitful mouth or engage in devious speech we are knowingly acting in total opposition to His very essence. Yet, we continue to do it. How sad.

Every time we deceive someone we are taking matters into our own hands and refusing to trust God. When we manipulate (devious speech) we do the same thing. It’s our way rather than His. It’s our plan rather than His. It’s fear rather than trust. It’s sin rather than holiness.

The next time you are tempted to have a deceitful mouth, choose to trust God and speak His language – Truth. The next time your circumstances tempt you to take matters into your own hands through devious speech, choose to trust God’s Providence. If you continue in these sins you will never know what blessings you are missing out on…and your heart, witness, and conscience will remain compromised.