IS IT RIGHT TO SIT ON THE TRUTH?
Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Esther 2:10
A difficult topic, considering the advice given to Esther. Mordecai, still having influence over her, told her not to admit that she was a Jew. What? That’s deceptive. But, he didn’t tell her to lie about it, just not to offer the information. She was to let others think that she was of Persian descent. Looking back, we can see that a sovereign God shaped his instincts and mandate. It would not have been prudent for Esther to reveal herself as a Jew as it would have thwarted the purposes of God. The King would not have considered Esther, a Jewess, to be his Queen.
It can be difficult to know when it’s alright to sit on the truth. You know more than you tell but for various reasons, you are led to keep silent. You don’t feel compelled to tell all you know since righteous outcomes are at stake. You believe the Holy Spirit nudges you to be silent.
Those with the spiritual gift of intercession, for instance, are given godly discernment into people and situations. They are often called to be the ‘truth tellers’; bringing painful truths to light. But more often than not, God does not release them to speak. He reveals information to them for the sole purpose of interceding. He directs them to pray rather than confront.
This is difficult if I have an unholy need for justice, or the need to be right. Letting someone have it with both barrels, under the guise of ~ “God revealed this to me” ~ feels great and feeds my need to be validated. Showing my hand can make me look important too, as though I have a special connection to God that others don’t have.
Today, I might have spiritual insight into a situation that begs for intervention. I may think that my information is a vital part of the solution. May my passion to be obedient to God’s voice overrule any need I have to take center stage and deliver the truth prematurely. Truth, spoken out of turn, can be a destructive instrument.
My mouth is driven by my heart. Turn Your light on there and show me every motive that is not of You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Originally published Wednesday, 27 March 2019.
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