Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional 12th February 2021 FridayMessage
TOPIC: Speaking the Truth
TEXT: Matthew 5:33-37(NKJV)
33. ” Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
34. “But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
35. “nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36. “Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
37. “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
STUDY: Jesus taught against swearing. He forbids swearing by anything by heaven because it is the throne of God or earth because it is God’s footstool. He enjoins us that our yes should be yes and our no, no. Jesus practised the life of transparency throughout His ministry on earth. Samuel stood before all Israelites and their new King, Saul, and asked them to say publicly whom he had defrauded while discharging his duties as a Prophet. The people answered, “no one” (1 Sam. 12:1-4). What a man!
Through swearing, people want to prove their innocence. When we were growing up, to prove we were telling the truth, we would spit on one of our fingers, rub it on the ground, touch our tongue, raise the finger and declare/shout, ‘truth to God!’ Once you did this, you were discharged and acquitted. Thank God that He did not strike us down because most of us swore in lies. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6) and when you encounter Him, you will not struggle to tell the truth in any situation.
Whenever you encounter others, they will believe whatever you tell them. Even in secular gatherings, believers are usually entrusted with money because of their integrity. Are you among those that tell the truth? Can people believe what you say? Society is looking for truthful persons. May we as Christians, be found by society to be truthful!
PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to always tell the truth. Amen.
Daily Fountain Quote of the Day
“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You have healed me. O Lord, You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit … For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:2,5)
Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional 12th February 2021 Message. The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England