The Daily Devotional

What Should You Do When Others Lie About You? (Psalm 12-14)

Have you ever had someone lie about you? If so, how do you respond? Psalm 12 provides some answers.

Ezra Byer

Ezra Byer

— 3 min read
What Should You Do When Others Lie About You? (Psalm 12-14)

Psalm 12-14

Today's Scripture Passage

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever had someone lie about you? If so, how do you respond?

Psalm 12 provides some answers. As authors Nancy Declaissé-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth Laneel Tanner write, “Psalm 12 is about words. It begins with the words of the wicked and the considerable violence that they achieve by means of their speech. In the middle, the words of God are spoken, which counter the words of the wicked. The poem closes with the assurance that the word of God is trustworthy.”[1]

Psalm 12:3-4 says,

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.
4 They say, “Through our tongues we have power;
our lips are our own—who can be our master?”

The Hebrew word for flattering is smooth or slippery. “A wooden translation might be something like ‘lips of smooth things.’” Gerald Wilson writes, “This phrase acknowledges that a persuasive command of the language is not always accompanied by a positive regard for the truth; one can manipulate truth to accomplish one’s own ends.”[2]

Verse 4 has shades of Genesis 11:4 when the Babylonians said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.” Left to their own devices, selfish humans use words to build themselves up and tear others down.

In contrast, verse 6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times.” Adam Clarke writes that the words “silver refined in a furnace on the ground” reference how silver is purified by the cupel.[3] A cupel is a small, shallow, and often cylindrical ceramic or clay dish used in the process of assaying metals, particularly gold and silver. It is designed to absorb impurities and leave behind a pure metal sample when subjected to high temperatures in a furnace.

Unfortunately, when someone spreads lies or rumors about us, it’s natural to take these words to heart. After perhaps lashing out in anger, we lay on our beds at night and think, maybe this is who I am. If we’re not careful, we embrace the very lies we hate. Thankfully, Psalm 12 teaches us that when someone lies about us, we can either believe what they say or believe what God says.

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | Lord, thank you that your words are true. I praise you for who I am in Christ.

Release | I give you my thoughts about what is true, both about myself and others.

Ask | Help me to believe what you say.

Yield | I commit my way to you. Help me to honor you in my words, actions, and attitudes today and to worry about what others may think or say.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

Words have immense strength. Daniel Henderson writes, “The words we speak are not mere vocalizations of thoughts, they have power to create realities.”[4]If you believe and internalize the lies said about you, you will create a painful reality for yourself and those you love. But if you anchor your life in God’s Word, his voice will grow louder while the lies grow more silent.

If you are struggling over lies others have said about you, here are some helpful reminders if you follow Christ. Because of your relationship with him, you are:

  • God’s child (John 1:12)
  • Jesus’ friend (John 15:15)
  • Justified and redeemed (Romans 3:24)
  • Set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
  • Accepted by Christ (Romans 15:7)
  • A saint (Colossians 1:2)
  • A new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • A child and an heir (Galatians 4:7)
  • Redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)
  • Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3)
  • Able to approach God with confidence (Ephesians 3:12)
  • A citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
  • Raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1)

This is who you are. Instead of letting the words of others dictate your self-worth and emotions, trust the reality of God’s Word and thank him for who he says you are. His words mean more than those who lie about you.

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[1]Nancy Declaissé-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth Laneel Tanner, The Book of Psalms, New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 151.

[2]Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms Volume 1, The NIV Application Commentary. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 267.

[3]Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Altamonte Springs: OakTree Software, 2004), paragraph 16017.

[4] Daniel Henderson, Praying the Psalms, vol. 1 (Denver: 6:4Press, 2021), 46.

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