THE GROWTH OF DECEPTION

…falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 9:3

Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 9:5-6

In October of 2012 if was reported that 20% of Americans claimed no religion compared to 15 percent five years previously (http://www.alternet.org/belief/number-atheists-us-spikes-protestants-minority-first-time). “The growth in the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans – sometimes called the rise of the “nones” – is largely driven by generational replacement, the gradual supplanting of older generations by newer ones.” So the older generation is failing to reach the younger generations or is it that the younger generations refuse to trust the Lord God Almighty?

According to the verses above, in Jeremiah’s day the people did not know the Lord, but they also did not want to know the Lord! The result was the growth of lies in the land and the diminishing of the truth with evil being practiced more and more. The people learned lies and spoke lies. Deception was rampant.

Does that sound like the United States today? We are a nation where lies are being communicated; people are believing the lies and then repeating the lies. Deception in our nation is also rampant. You and I, fellow followers of Jesus Christ, are to be salt and light in this nation and anywhere in the world the Lord might move us. May we be speaking the truth in love that others may know the Truth— Jesus.

Dear Father, help me to be salt and light today to those around me. Oh, that I would speak the truth to them in love. May You be pleased to touch hearts as Your Word is planted and watered in Jesus’ authority.