Ensign: Lying

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3


AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                       11 March 2016


She would be handy to have if you're a diplomat. In the comic book series Saga that I've been reading and posting about this week, the Lying Cat (pretty self-explanatory name) is the sidekick of a bounty hunter, and she comes in pretty handy for him and the others she and the bounty hunter ("freelancer") come to be with on their hunt. Besides being great in a fight, Lying Cat detects whenever someone is ... lying. Not telling the truth. Deliberate trying to deceive her or someone she's with.


But there's one way around this living lie detector. If you believe what you're saying is true, whether it is or not, Lying Cat won't say a thing. And the reason I've chosen her as a main character in today's devotion -- the only instance we see of a talking animal in the Bible is Balaam's ass talking to him in the twenty-second of Numbers, and even that's temporary -- is not only because we could use one (but what would you feed and where would you keep her?) but also stand for discernment ourselves.


In the story we later learn Lying Cat is the smallest of her family (she stands waist-high to an average person, but I digress). But to be discerning -- okay, be honest with me, you thought I'd go into a spiel on the Ninth Commandment "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor," (Exodus 20:16) essentially the LORD's injunction to not lie -- means that we don't expect people to be honest with us. Crud, that sounds Hamiltonian, or even Machiavellian.


We want people to be honest with us, and we with them, and in a sinless world this wouldn't be a question. BUT we live in a not-sinless world, and you and I get to deal with family and friends and co-workers and casual acquaintances and strangers who of course we expect to be truthful with us. For some though, it goes as far as their own best interests, and it's not deliberate that who we interact with lie (again, bear false witness) to us their neighbors ... it just comes out that way.


It's scary to think we have no choice in that, or do we? Solomon who became the wisest man in the world asked the LORD for such ("that I may discern between good and bad"; see his prayer in 1 Kings 3) and through Scripture we're shown that discernment coming from the LORD cleaves the clean and unclean (Ezekiel 44:23), the righteous and wicked (Malachi 3:18), and the good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). I pray that we get the idea.


And live by and for the right one (and Righteous One), David


P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope I am encouraging too! If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thanks!


Thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in prayer and that You will provide for all our needs even when we're confused about what they are! Please, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and all over the world.

Thank You again, Lord, for all in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You for those opportunities we have along with the promise of new life through You, and may we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.