"Their lies led them astray, lies which their Fathers followed." Amos 2:4

I want to share with you a little nugget I found in the Old Testament book of Amos.

Throughout the book the prophet speaks to the people of Israel. He warns them of the coming punishment for despising the law and turning away from the commandments of God. This particular verse really stood out to me as Amos is speaking the words of the Lord. The Lord is making it clear that the foundation of their sin is because they followed the lies passed down from their Fathers.

They turned to lies instead of the truth of God. This led them away from God, away from truth, away from freedom and away from His goodness. It put them on the path to destruction, a life of deception and captivity.

THAT’S HOW POWERFUL LIES ARE!

When God gave the commandments to His people they were meant to keep them safe and in relationship with Him. His heart for the people was that they would know Him and know how to be in relationship with a Holy God. His heart has never changed! His heart is the same for us today.

As they turned to other gods, they effectively turned to lies – a distortion of and disregard for the truth. How often do we see that today? A society that disregards the truth because they make gods with their hands…Perhaps we even see that in our own lives…

We also read here that these are lies their Fathers also believed. To me this shows a slow turning, a slow acceptance of other ways that has resulted in a generation which has now been led astray by the actions and decisions of those before them. This was not just an overnight “I have decided to go my own way”. This is deception of the heart over a long period of time.

This is a wake up call to us. I know that sounds harsh, but how often do we let lies creep in and over time turn us away from God’s good plan and purpose for us? Potentially leading our own children away from relationship with God.

In John 8:32 we read that the truth sets you free, so that means the opposite of that is that lies keep you in bondage.

So how do we get free from the bondage of lies? Firstly you have to acknowledge you have been believing a lie. You can not be set free from lies until you realise you are deceived. The next step is that you have to replace the lie with the truth of God. We do this by reading His Word and listening to His Spirit. It is this truth, His truth that sets you free.

HIS TRUTH IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY LIE!!

Friend can I encourage you today, get into His word, stay close to Him and believe that His heart for you is to know Him and be in relationship with Him. It always has been and always will be. Do not let the lies of this world lead you astray from that truth!

Blessings,

Laura Jane Anslow