Wednesday 29, July 2026

Sometimes, we do things in secret. It isn’t always bad things. When we do, there may be the sense that no one knows or sees. As we strive toward a life of integrity, let us bear in mind that we live for God, and God knows what and why we’re about what we do. That applies to both good and bad situations. And, if it’s not intended for good, we are actually denying God God’s glory. That’s not good. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Acts 5:2-3 CEVDCI

[2] But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the money for themselves. So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles,

[3] Peter said, “Why has Satan made you keep back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?

Lying. To God’s Spirit

The money enthralled them. It hinted at what it could and couldn’t do. It lured them in, and so they started to plan what they would and wouldn’t do. In their plans, they only factored Peter, John, and the other apostles. They reasoned that those men wouldn’t know the truth. It could have worked. It should have worked.

But God. They didn’t factor God in their plans.

Peter got wind of their deed.

They. Were. Busted!!!

Self-Check

Siblings, have we ever made plans which God thwarted? Did it draw us closer or further away from God?

Deeper Dive

We often assume (well, I’ve often assumed) that God gave Peter a special Holy Ghost revelation. A special Word of Knowledge. The fact is, while that is highly probable, the society in which they all lived was not extremely large. The revelation might have been a ‘chance’ comment by the realtor to Peter or another apostle. It may have been that one of the apostles was nearby when the transaction was completed. Or, as I presumed, God may have given Peter that Word of Knowledge. What we do know is that Peter had the facts, and the Math wasn’t mathing. Money was missing from the gift.

They might have still gotten away with it – Peter could have approached them quietly to demand a share of what was kept in exchange for his silence. Money does that to some people.

But Peter didn’t yield.

Rather, he reprimanded Ananias for the lie. Peter explained that the lie was less about what he said to Peter. Rather, his actions offended God’s Spirit. Ananias tried to lie to God. It didn’t work.

Oy

Siblings, that’s the painful bit. Often, in our plans to misrepresent Truth, we fail to realise that we lie both to ourselves and to God. We lie to ourselves when we believe that God is unaware of our sin. If God is silent, it could be God’s grace at work. God may have gifted us an opportunity for genuine repentance. Of course, when we’re lying to God, we might fail to recognise or seize the moment.

There are some similarities to the battle at Ai in Joshua 7 when Achan stole the gold. The difference is that once confronted, Achan confessed. Ananias, on the other hand, chose to brazenly retain some of the profit earned from the sale of the property, and present the balance as the whole. He seemed to think that God wouldn’t notice.

Who did he think God was?

Before we jump to castigate brother Ananias, it may be worth checking our own lives to see whether we have been equally guilty. If so, let’s use this as an opportunity to repent, rather than casting stones.

Point to Ponder

The worst part of lying to God comes when we realise we’ve only been lying to ourselves. What lies do we need to eliminate from our system?

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May all we seek be found in Christ