Deception: The Subtle Lie

It came as a cautionary warning and at the same time simple instruction. I had learned from my school friends that the aluminum foil on a gum wrapper could be separated from its wax paper backing and then pressed over a penny to make it look like a shiny dime.

I showed this neat trick to my mom and told her that a person could make a lot of money using the aluminum covered pennies as dimes. That's when mom's warning came, "You know, that is deceitful."

I was 11 years old and asked the meaning of this new vocabulary word.

Mom instructed, "It's a lie even though you didn't use words." She described the aluminum covered penny as a fake or counterfeit. (I knew those words.)

My disappointment was short-lived. After all, I realized that only a naïve person would be fooled. Fake, counterfeit, lie, deception; an unforgettable lesson.

People cleverly use a variety of words and phrases to mask the reality of their lie. At a very young age we all learned what it meant to tell a lie. We learned that lying is morally wrong and generally destructive. Nobody wants to be told a lie, and nobody wants to be labeled a liar. So, it is natural to try to mask a lie.

Many people think that 'white lies' are acceptable. Many people justify lying if it is for a good reason. It is not uncommon to hear people explain (rationalize) how their lie was not really a lie, it just wasn't the whole truth (deception).

Deceit might be the worst kind of lie because it is not as easy to evaluate as a 'boldfaced lie.' Deceit is most often subtle. As in my illustration above, deceit might not use words. Where words are used, cleverly crafted communication may obscure the full truth. Deceit often involves trickery. In whatever way it is described, however, deceit is always a lie.

Numerous passages in the Psalms and Proverbs describe a companion to deceit: destruction. Deceit is destructive because it violates trust. When trust is lost family relationships are broken, friendships are destroyed, work relationships are strained. Broken trust is difficult to repair.

It is no surprise, then, that Solomon issues a clear and strong warning:

Put away from you a deceitful mouth

And put devious speech far from you.

—Proverbs 4:24

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

But counselors of peace have joy.

—Proverbs 12:20

Those who use deception in life carry a ‘toolbox’ full of techniques to shade the truth and manipulate the perceptions of people. Sadly, most deceivers have manipulated their perception of themselves: self-deception.

Whenever you are tempted to deceive someone, you should remember:

• God hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17). It has no part in His kingdom.
• One of the most common strategies of the devil is deception. After all, he is the father of lies. (John 8:44) Do you really want to be like the devil?!

Be wise. No lies.

Mark Stinnett

February 8, 2026

Listen, Watch, Walk

Parents make sacrifices for their children. They want to make sure their children have a good life. Of course, parents have different ideas about what makes life good. Ideas range from wealth to a good career to ownership of property; or perhaps, a loving family, good health, comfortable living, a good education, good standing in the community, and so on.

For wise Solomon, the best thing he could give his son was wisdom. And while much of the wisdom of Solomon came from careful observation of life, his God-given gift of wisdom transcended the wisdom of the world. He saw the value of honoring and revering God, living a life of righteousness, and being devoted to integrity and equity toward his fellow man. These were among the things he had in mind when he pleaded:

My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your sight’

Keep them in the midst of your heart.

For they are life to those who find them

And health to all their body.

—Proverbs 4:20-22

Solomon recognized that wisdom guided the human spirit and provided health to the human body. Someone recently commented to me that even an unbeliever would live a better life by following the wisdom of Solomon.

If only written, you can still sense the stress in Solomon’s voice as he urged his son to listen. Continuing in verse 23:

Watch over your heart with all diligence….

The heart refers to the human spirit where the human will, emotion, and intellect reside. Solomon knew that the spirit can be deceived and can itself affect the perceptions and decisions of the soul. So, the soul must take responsibility and guard the heart (spirit). This is primarily about watching what influences come into the heart and mind. In the verse that follows, Solomon urges care regarding what comes out of the heart:

Put away from you a deceitful mouth

And put devious speech far from you. (24)

How is all this accomplished?

The answer is found in the final three verses:

Let your eyes look directly ahead

And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. (25)

First, your soul makes a resolute decision. The direction of one’s gaze is to be trained toward God, fixed (set) on His written revelation, Scripture.

Watch the path of your feet

And all your ways will be established. (26)

Once your soul is locked in on God and His word, look at your feet, that is, examine yourself, to ensure that you are walking according to God’s way.

Do not turn to the right nor to the left;

Turn your foot from evil. (27)

Verse 26 is the positive instruction that is to be followed while verse 27 is more defensive. It is instruction in what is to be avoided.

This is wisdom from above. Trust it and it will make your life on earth good. It will also help to prepare you for life to come. 

So, be wise.

Mark Stinnett

January 4, 2026

Grab Hold, For Dear Life!

Have you ever had someone take up for you when you were at a disadvantage?

For example, perhaps you were being bullied by someone bigger and stronger. Then, an older brother or friend stepped in and defended you.

Or, perhaps you were being cast aside by coworkers after having asserted yourself in a meeting. You had spent time and energy putting together a proposal only to have it attacked or casually dismissed. Then, a coworker or someone in a position above you stepped in to suggest that your idea had merit and should be considered.

Children depend upon their parents watch over them at all times; to defend them when wronged; to guard them from dangers of life they have not yet learned.

The Bible teaches that wisdom is a defender and guardian.

It is so easy to think of the wisdom of God as a kind of intellectual pursuit; as if it is all about knowing stuff and thinking and pondering. However, Solomon described wisdom as the older brother, stronger friend, valued coworker, loving parent--Wisdom is one who will guard you and watch over you.

Do not forsake her,
    and she will guard you;
Love her,
    and she will watch over you.
--Proverbs 4:6

The Hebrew terms for ‘guard’ and ‘watch over’ are synonyms, the second having, perhaps, a greater emphasis on an assertive defense.

The wise man instructed: Do not forsake her. That means, do not turn your back on wisdom.

I have been sorely disappointed by many studies and classes on the Book of Proverbs. A proverb would be presented followed by long explanations illustrating the proverb and perceived exceptions. They were nothing other than presumptuous evaluations of God’s word. So many times proverbs have been watered down in meaning so that the perceived ’exception’ won the day as truth and the proverb was virtually cast aside as something that was only sometimes true...maybe.

When we diminish the meaning of the Proverbs, we are forsaking wisdom. When we hurry to find exceptions we contradict what God has revealed; we forsake wisdom.

In contrast, when we embrace the wisdom that God has revealed and live by it, we demonstrate a ’love for wisdom.’

God’s wisdom is not revealed to make you into some sort of wise sage who offers advice. Rather, His wisdom is designed to guard you like an older brother, to watch over you like a loving parent, and defend you like a valued coworker. And to what end is this guarding and watching and defending?

God breathed life into man and, man became a living soul. God’s desire is to save your soul from death. Wisdom is for the purpose of life, now and forever.

Don’t turn away from wisdom, grab hold!!

Wisdom IS Life!

Mark Stinnett

Never Date a Girl Named...

Brush your teeth before bedtime.
Check the oil when you fill up your car.
Don’t take any wooden nickels.

Drink eight cups of water daily.
Don’t dive into dark water.
Always carry a little cash.

Lend a hand to a stranger in need.
Don’t talk to strangers.
Never date a girl named ___________.


Under closer inspection, some 'rules' are contradictory, some are silly, and some are dated. (I'll bet 150 years ago dads gave their kids some 'horse sense' instead of 'car talk.') And believe it or not, my dad actually instructed me to never date a girl with a first name of... (sorry, I can't tell you the name). He was quite serious...and I followed his instruction!

Every home has rules. Rules are for safety, or for health, or for good organization and order, and some...some are just the personal preferences of parents.

A story is told about a young wife who prepared a roast for her family just like her mother had taught her. She cut off one end then arranged the two pieces in her roaster. Her husband asked her why she always cut off one end of the roast before placing it in the roaster. Her reply, “That’s how my mother taught me.”

At the next family gathering she asked her mother about the roast. Her mother explained that she had been taught the exact same process by her mother. Asked by the trio about her process, the grandmother explained, “My roasting pot was too short; I had to cut off one end to make it fit.”

From time to time there are instructions that no longer fit....
So it is with man's instruction.

The wisdom and instruction (and rules) found in the Book of Proverbs must not be confused with the wisdom of men. The sayings in the Book of Proverbs are not merely common sense, or time-honored traditions, or well thought out maxims. These sayings can be trusted. They are good sayings. They are sound instruction. They are beneficial rules for life.

The Book of Proverbs is a record of God’s inspiration and revelation for man, and it is given for our benefit...so we do not have to learn by experience!

   For I give you sound teaching; 
   Do not abandon my instruction.
   --Proverbs 4:2

Your Gaze

I was about 12 years old, living in ‘small town’ America (population 364). I had gone with my dad to our garden spot a few miles out of town on a long dusty gravel road, literally out in the middle of nowhere.

On our way back home I courageously blurted out in my Arkansas twang, “Can I drive?”

Dad squeezed himself next to the driver’s side door and let me scoot across the wide bench seat in behind the steering wheel. Giving me a few brief instructions, we were off . . . s-l-o-w-l-y.
I was driving!

A moment later dad saw a bright red cardinal perched in a tree to the right of the road ahead. He pointed to the bird and I looked at it.

The next thing I knew dad jerked the steering wheel to the left to get us back on the road. Driving lesson over.

I had become a perfect example of what ‘not’ to do. Having no prior experience, I naturally steered the car in the exact direction I looked. I saw the bird in the tree and I unconsciously adjusted the steering wheel toward the bird, the object of my gaze.

   Let your eyes look directly ahead, 
   And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
   --Proverbs 4:25

This proverb sounds like it was written for the inexperienced driver, but Solomon  was warning about one’s gaze as it applies to life. Observing that we are all on a spiritual journey he encourages us to give careful attention to our path, not turning to the right or left. In this way the wise will avoid evil.

It is true in our physical lives and in our spiritual lives: We will walk along a path according to the gaze of our eyes.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
--Hebrews 12:1-2

Upon what is your gaze?

Acquire Wisdom

Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
                                                           --Proverbs 4:5


"Acquire."

Acquire means to buy or trade for something. Of course, one should not think that wisdom can be purchased from a merchant, “I’d like one bucket of wisdom, please.” Nor should one think of wisdom as an object to be possessed like some sort of collectable. However, the term ‘acquire’ is used for a reason. Perhaps we should look at the transaction itself.

If you had to explain the concept of buying and selling to a very young child, what would you tell them? How would you explain the exchange of money or property for something of value?

Stop.
Think about it.

When we acquire things we generally buy them with money. Or, in more general terms, we make a trade. So, whether bartering or buying, we expect a fair exchange of things of value. How is it then that a person is to acquire wisdom and understanding? What is to be traded?

Wisdom and understanding do not come naturally. No one acquires wisdom by osmosis or gains understanding by simply attending church services or sitting in a Bible study. Yet, the value placed on wisdom and understanding is determined by whatever a person is willing offer in exchange.

Do you find wisdom and understanding to be of superior value???
What do you possess that you can offer as a trade to acquire wisdom and understanding?

What will you exchange in order to...

“Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!”