“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
(Psalm 118:8-9)
The past several years have taught us that people lie and deceive one another on a regular basis. People, particularly people in power and those trusted to disseminate truth, have become agents of deception. Of course this should come as no surprise to the born-again Christian. We know that people drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16) in a world under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” wrote the great apostle (2 Timothy 3:13), undoubtedly looking ahead to our day. As I write this devotional, the leaders of the western world continue to deceive millions directly and through their cultural megaphones. One, rare, redeeming quality of the internet is that it preserves in audio/video format, a titanic amount of detail about what was said and what was done. The liars in positions of power and their media henchmen can attempt to re-write history all they want, but the irrefutable evidence is out there for all to see. This too, I think, is a mercy from God. Job explains that God brings truth into the light in order to set men free from their oppressors. “He looseth the bond of kings,” wrote the suffering patriarch, “and girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death” (Job 12:18-22). The deception and damage caused by the social-political Left is too obvious and outrageous to ignore forever. Even now the tide is beginning to turn. I believe that the social-political pendulum is intended to swing away from the obvious insanity of the Left, creating an environment tailor-made for the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-10; Daniel 7:24-25; 1 John 2:18) and his henchman, the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18; 19:20; 20:10). Their worldwide propaganda campaign will be far less obviously false, and therefore far more deadly, than the Left’s recent attempts. As the world begins to swing away from the Left with its love of tyranny, moral depravity, and hatred of religion, we must not be lulled into thinking that those moving us to the Right are necessarily any better; the last deception will be worse than the first ultimately. Today’s verse passage reminds us that we ought to stand on God’s word, no matter who says what. His word trumps the contrary claims of even the most capable among us. Let us not be like the centurion who, though he had an affection for Paul, nevertheless chose to side with those opposed to his claims. The result was disastrous! (See Acts 27). Let us hold fast to the apostolic witness, for our safety and edification, and for the good of others.
God bless!
Pastor john
English