June 9, 2026
Lying To God
2 Kings 5:20 – “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, ‘My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.'”
Naaman had just been healed of leprosy through the prophet Elisha, and in his gratitude he offered generous gifts. Elisha refused them all. But his servant Gehazi watched that exchange and made a private calculation — his master may not want the reward, but he certainly did. So he slipped away, caught up with Naaman’s party, and concocted a story about two young prophets who needed silver and clothing. Naaman, still overwhelmed with gratitude, gave him even more than he asked for.
Gehazi returned home and hid everything before walking back in to stand before Elisha as though nothing had happened. When Elisha asked where he had been, Gehazi looked the prophet in the eye and said, “Your servant didn’t go anywhere.”
It is one of the more breathtaking moments of self-deception in all of Scripture. Gehazi was standing before a man who moved in the Spirit of God, lying as though the conversation were somehow private.
We do the same thing. We make choices we know are wrong and then approach God in prayer with a composed exterior, as if He is working only from what we’ve told Him. We confess selectively. We negotiate quietly. We present the version of ourselves we’d prefer Him to respond to, forgetting entirely that we are standing before the One who searches every heart and knows every motive before a word is even formed on our lips.
Psalm 139:4 says it plainly — before a word is on our tongue, God knows it completely. Gehazi’s leprosy wasn’t the consequence of what he took. It was the consequence of who he thought he was talking to.
Today’s Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I have approached You with a carefully edited version of the truth. Help me to come before You with nothing hidden and nothing held back. Amen.
Reflection Question: Is there something you have been less than fully honest with God about?