“The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.” Proverbs 13:5 NIV
I once worked on staff where we had a guy who loved to share and entertain with quick-witted answers to questions. We had a couple of sayings for new people on the team to help them adjust to John’s habit. We would tell them to wait for his third response – that was usually his real answer. Sometimes it got old but usually it was just good fun. This verse is not talking about John’s type of false response. This tells us that there are people who genuinely ‘love the lie.’ I’ve known a few of them. It’s almost bizarre to experience. The phrase that there is a stench to them describes their condition pretty well. You will grow weary of them and look for ways to avoid them. Another translation calls these people loathsome and wicked. I told my children, and those who worked for me, that there is no wrong they can do that cannot be dealt with other than a lie. Lying poisons one’s soul and spreads out like a cancer. The righteous love the truth. Of course they do. Jesus called Himself ‘The Truth’. But not only do they love the truth and avoid the lie, they hate the lie. This is a reflection of God’s own attitude. He loves the truth and hates the lie as well. Today, speak the truth. #BeTheEdge
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus
