Matthew 5:33-37
[33] “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ [34] But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, [35] or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. [36] And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. [37] Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Head: What are some reasons that people lie?
Heart: How much do you think about honoring God with your words?
Hands: How often do you use exaggeration or white lies?
How much weight do your words hold? When you make a promise to someone, do people see you as reliable? When you tell someone something, do people believe you? As a disciple of Jesus, we are to take our words seriously, for they reflect our attitude towards God and towards people.
It was common for people long ago to make oaths invoking the names of God or other gods. This was not honoring to God, because an oath made in God's name was to use God's holy name in a frivolous and inappropriate way. To make an oath in the name of another god was to attribute power to that god. This was dishonoring to God because it breaks the first commandment that there is only one God.
In this day and age, we may not believe in swearing oaths binding ourselves to some false god. But our temptation may be to use our words too lightly, with little commitment to the truth. We may make promises and have little care whether or not we follow through on them. We may speak of people, without much regard as to the truth of the words or the damage that it may to to them. We may be prone to exaggeration or hurtful gossip. Our words are to be a blessing to people. Let's ask God to check our hearts and our words, that they may reflect His truth and character, that we may speak in a way that honor God and bless people.
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Devotional Guide:
1) Pray for understanding in your mind, for trust in your heart, and for powerful obedience in your daily living.
2) Read the passage and mark anything that blesses you, challenges you, or raises a question.
3) Reflect on the passage. What's God saying about Himself? What's God saying about you?
4) Pray in response to what God puts on your heart through the Word.