Proverbs 19: Do You Lie to Get Out of Trouble?

When I was younger I remember often finding myself caught in a sin, and I would often attempt to lie to get out of trouble. Very rarely would this work. It was often pretty obvious that I was to blame, and that the cat did not break that lamp, teapot, or other household decoration. It did work sometimes, but God knew.
Verse 5 says:
"A false witness will not go unpunished,
and the one who spouts out lies will not escape punishment.”
The key is confession and repentance not lies. Admit to your faults, and then repent of them. We see that God values honesty, and in reality so do people, let us strive for honesty then.

Proverbs 11: Honesty is the Best Policy

It can be a temptation to cheat, whether in school or at a job. Opportunity may arise where you would be able to get away with doing the wrong thing, stealing money, or taking your friend's answers on a test, and you need to be determined before hand how you will respond to such a situation.

In verse 18 of this chapter Solomon says: “The wicked person earns deceitful wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a genuine reward.”
Also, in verse 1 he says: “The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but an accurate weight is his delight.”

Being honest is very important and it is something that God values very highly. He hates (or detests) dishonest dealings, and he delights in honest dealings. This means that you should keep all of your dealings as honest as possible whether in work or in school.

Proverbs 10: Do You Enjoy Making Wicked Plans?

There can be a certain thrill to scheming, as you make up your plans to trick your parents and others as you engage in behavior that you should not. Some people find this enjoyable.

Verse 23 of this chapter says: “Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.”

So fools enjoy wicked plans and wise people enjoy discernment, but what is the end result of each option?

Verses 24-25 say: “What the wicked fears will come on him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
When the storm passes through, the wicked are swept away, but the righteous are an everlasting foundation.”

Whenever you are scheming, you may be worried that you will be found out. Sometimes you are, but God always knows about your scheming, and your fears will come true. The wicked will not be able to weather the storms whereas a righteous wise person’s foundation is secure.

Acts 5: A Biblical Horror Story

Ever tried to lie to God? A couple observations:
1. It doesn’t work. (God is omniscient.)
2. It is dangerous. (God is all-powerful.)

These two things are something that the early church figures out rather quickly at quite a cost to a couple among them.

They sell their field and give some of the money to the church, which is not a problem. The problem is that they wanted people to think that they were giving all of the money to the church. They attempted to deceive the Apostles and God.

The problem with their plan was that God still knew. In verse 3 the Bible says, “Then Peter said, 'Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?'”
God knew, and God revealed it to Peter.

The second problem with their plan shows the power of God. Verse 5 says, “When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.” God killed him for his deceit. His wife dies shortly after her husband because of the same deceit.

Proverbs 21: Honesty

Verse 6 says, "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death."

It may seem like a good idea at the time to be dishonest just to get ahead. You might even get ahead for a while, but it will be short-lived. There is no satisfaction in winning by cheating, or by earning your way through life dishonestly.

Also, it will not last. Eventually you will get caught and punished.

There is no lasting value in living in a dishonest manner. Many people try to get by with a dishonest life, and it ends in ruin, perhaps with them ending up friendless and in jail. On the other hand, honest gain is lasting gain.