Nothing but the Truth

Read Proverbs 19:1-29

1. Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.
2. Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.
3. People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.
4. Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.
5. A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.
6. Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!
7. The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone.
8. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
9. A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. . . .
11. Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. Proverbs 19:1-9, 11

Some things have been disappearing from the office lately—small but expensive items. Talk turns to speculation on who could be doing it. Circumstantial evidence points to one person in particular, but no one is willing to believe that he could be guilty. He just isn’t the kind of person who would do that—he’s too honest.

Proverbs 19 addresses the subject of dishonesty. The consequences of dishonesty are not pleasant. As you read, you’ll see what I mean . . . honest!

In addition, this chapter contains five don’ts and one do: don’t be hasty; don’t lie; don’t be quarrelsome; don’t be lazy; don’t be stingy; but do listen to advice.

“A false witness will not go unpunished”—those words appear twice in this chapter (Proverbs 19:5, 9). Other verses make similar statements about the practical value of truth and the foolishness of deceiving others (19:1, 28).

Honesty is God’s policy. Having a reputation for speaking the truth is better than lying and living well. Unfortunately, however, most people don’t believe this, so in order to get ahead they cut moral corners when it comes to telling the truth.

Don’t buy the world’s line that lying is OK. Remember, being honest will keep you out of trouble with God, and it may also build your reputation. Be known as a person who tells the truth.