This post was last updated on January 2, 2026

Day 308, Year 1

Telling the Truth

“The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19 NKJV)

The word “truthful” in today’s verse is ’emeth in Hebrew. This verse contrasts two types of speech, true and false, and both are related to the tongues, i.e., the two types of human lives. Speaking truthfully, in order to express the truth, will stand surely forever. The truthful words consist of both the content and the way of speaking. The way to tell the truth is honesty. For the Israelites, the content and the manner of speaking are the same thing, so there is no need to distinguish between the two. The purpose of speaking truthfully is pure while the motivation is single-minded. This simplicity makes it easier for honest people to come to God and be preserved by Him till eternity, because He establishes the truthful lips forever. As a result, the truth-tellers and the speech will stand forever.

On the other hand, lies are only kept for a short time because they are usually used to deceive people or obtain improper short-term gains. The characteristic of lies is ephemeral. The lies that have been exposed are even more short-lived. Lies often contain a mixture of true and false content, and thus are confusing. Lying complicates people’s minds and makes them afraid of being revealed. Liars tend to be under a lot of psychological pressure and distance themselves from honest people. Thus, the tongue of a lie is only for a very short time, which means liars will be eliminated very soon.

There are people in the world who appreciate deception, not only that, but also something they regard as valuable in contemporary novels, fictions, films, dramas, etc. But the mere falsehoods in artworks have given rise to a lot of lies. Furthermore, some people believe that in a society of utter falsehoods, the truth can be found in fiction, etc. This kind of assertion is actually very wrong. For instance, the screenwriters are real, those persons who write the novel are real, and the persons who shoot are also real…. It is not difficult at all to find some real traces in them. But the more substantial question is: If you want to search for the truth, why not find it in honest places?

Today’s scripture criticizes falsification and deception. But the Bible itself has been criticized for its errors. However, I believe that even if there are errors in it, most of them are caused by the people who copied or edited it. The truth of the Bible, even if it is alleged to be false, does not confuse God’s truthfulness. After all, liars will stumble over His truth, exacerbate their unbelief in God, and finally perish.

Reflection questions:

1) Can you agree that those who speak the truth with their words stand forever? Why?

2) Do you agree that a liar has a shorter life? Why?