21st December 2020
SWEARING BY EARTH
David Abankwah
Nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
-Matthew 5:35 | NKJV
When I learnt from others who sworn to make a case for themselves that what they were saying was the truth, I began swearing too. I used to swear by the things of the earth. Even though I knew the Lord when I was a child, swearing to protect my integrity was something I used to do until I knew what the Scriptures said and I stopped. Many believers are fond of swearing. In their homes, when something is lost, they know they took it but they will still swear they have no idea about it. Some parents steal from their children but when they ask they lie and still swear. Some wives or husbands steal from their partners and when they are asked they say it is the children who has done that. Meanwhile, it is one of the spouses who did it.
I quiet remember a story about a certain family. For a long time some stealing has been going on in the life of the wife. Anytime she puts her money down, someone will take it. Sometimes the full amount and sometimes part. But after the act of stealing has been done, she realized her husband also comes to complain that his money is also stolen, asking her whether she has seen any stolen money. When they ask the children too, they say they have no idea about any missing money. Sometimes the parents beat the children mercilessly for stealing. One day, after the wife returned home from market, she realized part of her money was stolen again. She asked everyone in the house and the thief didn’t speak the truth.
In that case, she sent one of the children to buy her an egg. When the child brought the egg, she decided to place a curse on the thief by invoking evil spirits who inhabited the earth realm to punish the thief by breaking the egg on the floor. As she was about to cast the spell, the husband owned up that he is the thief. He confessed he is the one who has been doing the stealing but because he doesn’t want her to know, he often complain to her about the same situation so she will not notice that it is him who took it. If she has not invoked evil spirits from the earth, the husband would not have told the truth. You don’t have to tell the truth by the summon of evil spirits or by the swearing of the things of the earth.
The Bible says we should let our yes be yes and no be no. Many believers swear by strange things. Some swear by the leg of their ancestors who are dead. What can the leg of the ghost of your ancestors do for you? If you know where they are, you wouldn’t have invoked their presence. Because many gods inhabit the earth, when you swear by invoking the things of the earth, they take the matter up and act on it. Words are spirit and swearing by earthly things is inviting earthly evil spirits to back your words with power. Evil spirits are working even if you don’t call them. They are looking for every opportunity to ruin the lives of those who swear. They will make sure you flout your obligation so they can punish you.
•| Prayer Diary |•
Lift up prayers for the grace to tame the tongue from swearing by things of the earth in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
The truth must not be told out of compulsion. Anyone who tells the truth out of compulsion, is a serial liar
|READ| MEDITATE |SHARE|
© 2020 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 