The false and the true

Do not take me away with the wicked And with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbours, But evil is in their hearts. - Psalm 28v3

This is a wonderful psalm and a plea for God's protection. As a part of that plea the psalmist makes a very profound state about society.

'Don't let me be taken away with the wicked. The speak peace, but there is evil in their hearts.'

I like this warning. The world is a tremendous source of counterfeit truth. A friend was preaching about this yesterday and had a great illustration. He is from South Africa and he had a fifty rand note in his hand. He offered it to me and told me that it was worth the same as a fifty euro note. He was not telling me that fifty rand is only worth about five euro. He was purposefully giving a false impression of the value of the note. Though I would not mind having the five euro, it is not what it was it seemed.

Our world is full of this kind of offers. Here, specifically the topic is peace. The wicked 'speak peace with their neighbours.' In Isaiah we read of the the wicked crying out 'Peace! Peace' while there is no peace. Jesus speaks of a peace that the world gives.

There is a danger in relying on the world's peace. We may stop armies from fighting and nations from warring for a time, but there is never real, true, abiding peace. There is not the 'peace that passes all understanding.' Man, apart from Christ, will always return to conflict in both body and soul.

The word of God does have the genuine thing. Jesus said that he came to bring a peace that the world cannot bring. We are told that by trusting Christ we can have the 'peace that passes all understanding.

May we not be drawn away by false offers of peace.