God is Truth

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

At first glance, you might think that the focus for this post is the yellow and black striped fish featured in this image. In reality, the porkfish in the foreground and the two sergeant majors in the background are only photobombers. The true subject of this image is the well-camouflaged spotted scorpionfish. It is so well hidden that perhaps it took you a moment to spot it, even after I mentioned it. It is resting on the edge of this rocky outcropping, patiently waiting for an unsuspecting fish to swim close enough to become its next meal. Spotted scorpionfish remind me of a military sniper for a couple of different reasons. First, the fringed design of the spotted scorpionfish’s body and fins is akin to the ghillie suit of a military sniper and acts as an effective means of camouflage. Second, the spotted scorpionfish rests on the seafloor for lengthy periods of time in relative immobility but must explode into action at just a moment’s notice. A spotted scorpionfish’s capacity for explosive movement should be the stuff of legends as this fish can grab its prey in less time than it takes to blink an eye. To be exact, the spotted scorpionfish can snatch prey out of the water in just 15 milliseconds or 0.015 seconds. To add some perspective, the blink of an eye lasts 0.1 seconds making the scorpionfish’s flash of movement notably faster. While these facts are impressive, the realization that gave me greatest pause is that both the military sniper and the spotted scorpionfish are masters of deception. If they both do their job well, they will appear as something completely different than what they really are, and their prey will never see them coming.

It could also be said that deception is one of the main laws of survival in the marine environment. A wide variety of animals utilize deception in their plight for survival including animals such as the mimic octopus, decorator crab, anglerfish and many more. From camouflage to mimicry, deception is an effective means of eating without being eaten. This truth, however, generated a mental tangle as I considered the relationship between God and His Creation. If, as stated in Romans 1:20, all Creation testifies of God, how does this tendency towards deception point us towards our Creator, “with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17)?  Jesus Christ also declares that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Notice that He does not say that He speaks the truth. He says that He is Truth. So how does such deception in our natural environment reveal the character of God as Truth? We find our answer in Numbers 23:19.

In this passage of Scripture, God makes a clear distinction between His character and that of His fallen Creation. This is because as a result of sin entering the world, humans have become deceptive and untrue. Yet despite the fallen nature of His Creation, God has remained the same. He does not change. In this instance, the deception often seen in Creation highlights a great contrast between the Creator and the created, the Constant and the ephemeral, the Pure and the sin-contaminated.

God’s unchanging nature is the reason, as stated in Malachi 3:6, that God gives the Israelites as to why they are not consumed as a result of their sin.

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6

Notice that God does not reference the Israelites’ works or sacrifices. Instead, God is saying that He fulfills His promises to the nation of Israel because He is true to Himself. It is His character. That which He has said, He will do (Isaiah 46:11). God cannot lie.

This truth should bring great comfort and freedom in times that we, His children, feel particularly unworthy. God’s love cannot be earned or lost. His promises are truth; they are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20). And God must fulfill them because if He didn’t, He would compromise His character. All of Scripture would be null and void. Do we deserve God’s love and mercy? Absolutely not. This mere thought should drive us to our knees in repentance and gratitude. But God offers His love freely to His children regardless of who we are or what we have done, because of who He is. No sin is too great for God to forgive when forgiveness is requested by someone with a repentant heart.

This truth should also be great comfort to us in times of prolonged waiting. Perhaps there has been a season in your life when you wonder if God will ever step in and change your circumstances. Maybe you are asking yourself, “When is God going to fulfill His promise to me in this area?” or maybe even you are wondering if He will ever show up for you in a particular situation. The answer is an emphatic yes! Again, not because of who you are, how you feel or something that you have done but because He is true to His nature. Take a moment to think about this Truth. Have you ever read a promise in the Bible and thought: “This can’t possibly be for me! I don’t deserve it!”? God’s fulfillment of that promise in your life has nothing to do with you and everything to do with God being faithful to His character. Because the truth is that you don’t deserve God’s spiritual or physical blessings. But He offers them anyway to those who choose to believe in Jesus Christ and submit themselves to His transformative hand.  

I once had someone experiencing financial difficulty tell me that it is possible to out-give God. I was greatly saddened by this statement as it indicated a mindset limited to his physical situation and a perspective tainted by the difficulty of his circumstances. He was looking at his financial lack through the lens of his personal expectations rather than the truth of Scripture. In his mind, his circumstances indicated that God was stingy and withholding. Nothing could be further than the truth! Scripture tells us of an overwhelmingly generous God who gives to His children out of His abundance.  Just consider the following Scriptures about God’s generosity:

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32 (NKJV)

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)

“as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” 2 Peter 1:3 (NKJV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)

Caring. Generous. Faithful. True. This is who God is. Do not allow your flesh or the devil tell you otherwise!