“I had a disappointment a few weeks ago,” I said to Stan one morning.
“What happened?” he asked.
“It had to do with one of my friends,” I replied. “I had asked him if he wanted to play a round of golf with me. He told me he had to work, but later I found out that he didn’t tell me the truth.”
“Did you ask him about that?” Stan asked.
“I did,” I replied. “Not in a confrontational way, but I let him know that I knew he didn’t tell me the truth.”
“Did he have anything to say for himself?” Stan asked.
“He did,” I responded, “but it didn’t make a lot of sense. He told me that he didn’t want to play golf, but he thought that if he told me he didn’t want to play it would have hurt my feelings.”
“Without realizing that what he did hurt you more,” Stan commented.
“Exactly,” I responded. “And I told him that his dishonesty really had an impact on how I view our relationship. Thankfully, he apologized and everything seems to be okay.”
“Good,” Stan replied. Continuing, he added, “This is not unlike what I saw in one of the prayers in the Book of Psalms I was reading the other day. I think it was written by David.”
“How so?” I asked.
“David was praying to God, being able to say that he had not strayed from the path God had for him; that his feet had not slipped in his walk with God.”
“So?” I asked.
“Being able to be honest with God is real important to my faith walk with Him,” Stan replied. “God already knows whether or not I am being honest with Him, but He surely wants to lead me in being totally open and honest with everything that goes on in my life.”
“Everything?” I said.
“Everything,” Stan replied. “I can tell you as an absolute fact based on too much experience, that my dishonesty with God really and truly disrupts my relationship with Him.”
“Your friend may have gotten away with his dishonesty with you had you not found out the truth, but God knows from the moment I open my mouth whether or not I am being honest with Him. Knowing that God knows is crucial to all I do in being totally honest with Him in my faith walk!”
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Bible verses to consider:
My steps have held fast to Thy paths. My feet have not slipped. Psalms 17:5.
Our heart has not turned back, and our steps have not deviated from Thy way. Psalm 44:18.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you show me that you want me to be totally honest with you about everything regarding my walk with you towards spiritual maturity. I confess that too often I have been foolish in thinking I can be dishonest with you, failing to recognize that you know everything about me before I even open my mouth. Please forgive that foolishness. And please, Father, help me in following every step of your lead so that I can truly come before you and honestly say that I have not strayed from the path you have for me, and that my feet have not slipped. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: God knows all about our honesty before we ever open our mouths. Do you agree with that? Why or why not? What does it look like to be totally open and honest in all of our relationships, but especially in our relationship with God? Have there been times when you have not been totally honest with God? What about right now? If you sense there needs to be a change in your honesty with God, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want to happen? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 