How honest are you?

Those who deal truthfully, are [God’s] delight. — Proverbs 12:22

Woman’s Day magazine surveyed more than 2,000 people to check out their honesty level. When asked, “How honest are you?” 48 percent said very honest, 50 percent said somewhat honest, and the other 2 percent said not very honest.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents confessed that they had taken office supplies from their job for personal use. And 40 percent admitted that they would cheat on their taxes if they knew they wouldn’t get caught.

Ananias and Sapphira must have thought they could get away with lying (Acts 5:1-11). But they quickly found out differently when Peter confronted them and told them that they had lied to the Holy Spirit. Immediately they were struck dead (vv. 5, 10).

The Lord’s desire was to keep His new church pure so He could use the believers in the lives of others. As Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan says, “The church pure is the church powerful . . . The only power [able to make] a church pure is that of the indwelling Spirit of God.” The purity of the church led to their testimony spreading, and “believers were increasingly added to the Lord” (v. 14).

Let’s be the kind of people who “deal truthfully” (Prov. 12:22) so we can be used by the Lord. — Anne Cetas

Lord, by Your Spirit grant that we

In word and deed may honest be;

All falsehood we would cast aside,

From You, O Lord, we cannot hide. — D. De Haan

READ: Acts 5:1-11

There are no degrees of honesty.

The Bible in one year:

• Proverbs 10-12

• 2 Corinthians 4