Integrity Breeds Happiness! Part Two

“Deliver my soul, Oh LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2

I read the story of “the Boy Who Cried, Wolf.” The story has been around for centuries. It is a story about a boy who lies to get attention. As the story read, “There once lived a shepherd boy sitting on the hill gazing at the villagers’ Sheep when he got bored. Wanting to amuse himself, he took a deep breath and shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the Sheep!” Not long afterward, a few villagers ran to the top of the hill and extraterrestrially shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the Sheep!” However, when they reached the top of the hill, they could not find a wolf. The boy laughed at their angry faces.

“Don’t cry ‘wolf,’ shepherd boy,” said the villagers, “when there’s no wolf!” So they went grumbling down the hill. Later, the boy sang out again, “Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the Sheep!” Then, to his mischievous delight, he watched the villagers run up the hillside in an attempt to drive the Wolf away. Then, when they didn’t find a wolf, the people warned, “Don’t shout ‘wolf’ when there are no wolves!” But the boy just laughed and watched as they returned, grumbling down the hill again.

Proverbs 12:19 says, “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

Later, he saw a real wolf heading about among his livestock. He leaped to his feet in alarm and screamed as much as he could, “Wolf! Wolf!” But they thought the naughty boy was attempting to fool them again, so they did not show up. However, When the sunset, the villagers wondered why the shepherd boy had not returned with his Sheep. As they set off up a hill, they spotted the boy crying. The boy said, “There really was a wolf here. The flock has scattered! I shout out, “Wolf!” Why no one shows up? But the villagers replied, “No one believes a liar even if they’re telling the truth.”

The fable teaches that if you often lie enough, people will stop trusting you, leaving you alone and helpless. While this may be an effective lesson for teaching children the importance of being honest, it’s also a lesson that can be applied to adults; because it is evident that integrity breeds happiness. We create a fulfilling and joyful life by being real and true to ourselves. We don’t have to worry about the consequences of our actions because we have nothing to hide. So be the child of God who cried out in truth and righteousness and be happy for the rest of your life! Amen. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”

Prayer:
1. “Deliver my soul, Oh LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.” Psalm 120:2
2. May the Lord deliver you from evil’s plan of the wicked; May He preserve you from the violent enemy like friends, who plan evil things in their hearts and stir up wars continually; May God deliver you from those who lie to you, and their tongue is sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps in Jesus name. Amen.