October 12, Clever Lies

Today’s reading: Psalms 56-60

“I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?” - Psalm 56:11.

Today we return to another familiar theme in Psalms, and that is fear. We have not paid much attention to the thematic titles that some of the psalms have, but the heading for Psalm 56 states that David wrote this, “regarding the time the Philistines seized him in Gath.” It was in this instance that David attempted to escape from Saul not by trusting in the Lord, but through the use of clever lies:

David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?” (1 Samuel 21:12-15).

When you are “cornered,” do you resort to your own plans to escape? Have you employed clever lies and deception to protect yourself instead of trusting Him? Are there any of those lies that you need to correct with the truth and set the record straight with other people and with God?