Finding Truth in a World Full of Lies
An abstract of Connor Kraus’ sermon on June 15, 2025, in the Summer in the Psalms series. Watch the sermon video here.
Have you ever reached for the milk carton, only to find someone put it back empty? That moment of frustration is nothing compared to what happens when an entire culture starts losing something much more important: truth itself.
We live in times when it's hard to know what's real anymore. From misleading news stories to fake social media posts, from politicians who twist facts to companies that lie in their ads, honesty seems to be disappearing. Even worse, many of us are starting to think this is just normal now.
But here's the good news: this isn't a new problem. People have dealt with cultures full of lies before. In Psalm 12, King David faced the exact same thing we're facing today. And through his experience, we can learn how to find truth and hope, even when everything around us feels fake.
When Truth Becomes Hard to Find
David starts Psalm 12 with a desperate cry: "Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race. They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts."
Sound familiar? David felt like he was surrounded by people who couldn't be trusted. His advisors, his military leaders, maybe even his friends, were telling him lies and half-truths. They were more interested in fooling him than helping him.
We feel the same way today. Studies show that only 40% of people worldwide believe most people can be trusted. In America, trust in the media has dropped to just 38%. More than half of Americans think government leaders are purposely lying to the public.
It's not just politics, either. We've lost trust in news agencies, health departments, businesses, and even some churches. When everything feels unreliable, it's no wonder we feel tired and frustrated.
The Problem Gets Worse
David noticed something even more troubling. The people lying to him weren't just spreading false information – they were proud of it. In verses 3-4, he describes people who think their lies give them power. They believe they can say whatever they want without consequences.
This happens today, too. Think about how companies lie to us every day:
"Cage-free" eggs don't mean what you think they do
"Natural" and "farm-fresh" are just marketing tricks
"Hormone-free" chicken sounds healthy, but all chicken is already required to be hormone-free
But the lies go deeper than food labels. Our culture tells us things like:
"You deserve to put yourself first" (instead of loving others)
"All paths lead to God" (when Jesus said He's the only way)
"Your truth is what matters most" (ignoring God's truth)
These lies hurt people, especially those who are already struggling.
God Sees and God Acts
The good news is that God isn't just watching from the sidelines. In verse 5, He says: "Because of the devastation of the needy and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up. I will provide safety for the one who longs for it."
When people use lies to hurt others, especially those who can't defend themselves, God gets angry. He promises to protect those who are being taken advantage of. Just like He rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He rescues people from the harm that lies can cause.
But here's something important to understand: God's full justice doesn't always come right away. We still live in a world where lies and deception exist. The complete end to all lies won't come until Jesus returns and makes everything new.
So what do we do while we wait?
Finding Truth in God's Word
David gives us the answer in verses 6-7: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times. You, Lord, will guard us; you will protect us from this generation forever."
When everything else feels unreliable, God's Word – the Bible – stands as a source of perfect truth. Just like silver that's been purified seven times has no impurities left, God's Word has no lies or errors in it.
Think of it like this: from 1889 to 2019, there was an official kilogram weight kept in Paris, France. When other countries wanted to make sure their weights were accurate, they compared them to this original standard. In the same way, when we want to know what's true, we compare everything to God's Word.
This doesn't mean the Bible is always easy to understand or that we'll always like what it says. But it does mean we can trust it completely.
Three Ways to Live in Truth
So how do we handle living in a world full of lies? David's example in Psalm 12 shows us three practical steps:
1. Pray for Wisdom
David's first response was to pray. When you feel overwhelmed by all the false information around you, don't try to figure it out alone. Ask God for wisdom to see through lies and find truth. Pray for discernment when you're reading news, making decisions, or listening to advice from others.
2. Speak with Integrity
You have the power to be different. In a world that loves exaggeration, manipulation, and secrets, you can choose to speak with honesty, clarity, and love. This doesn't mean posting every thought you have on social media. It means building a reputation as someone who tells the truth with kindness and wisdom.
3. Pursue the Truth
The psalms are a constant reminder to go before the Lord with our problems in prayer. Don’t let discouragement or frustration at the situation take you away from this vital lifeline in your faith. Go before God first, not as a final option. We are told to ask the Holy Spirit for discernment and wisdom in wading through lies. Pray for truth to be seen as worthy again. Ask him for faithful and truthful people to surround your life.
The real issue isn't finding the perfect Bible reading plan or the right chair to sit in. The problem is that our culture has convinced us that Scripture isn't important. But if we truly believed God's Word was essential for life, we'd make time for it just like we do for everything else that matters to us.
Hope for Today
Living in a world full of lies can feel discouraging. But Psalm 12 reminds us that we're not alone and we're not without hope. God hasn't abandoned us to figure out truth on our own.
When we feel pressed in by deception and manipulation, we can pray for discernment, build reputations for integrity, stand up for those who are being hurt by lies, and root our lives in the only eternally trustworthy guide we have – God's holy Word.
The lies around us are loud, but God's truth is stronger. The deception seems overwhelming, but God's Word has already won. In a culture that treats Scripture as outdated or irrelevant, that's actually a good reason to take it more seriously.
After all, why would we expect a lying world to tell us what's true?
Ready to Learn More?
If you're tired of trying to navigate life's questions alone and want to discover the truth that can anchor your life, we'd love to have you join us. Whether you're just starting to explore faith or you've been on this journey for years, there's always more to discover about God's love and truth.
Join us this Sunday at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. as we continue exploring how God's Word speaks to the real challenges we face every day. You'll find a welcoming community of people who are learning to live by truth in a world that often doesn't value it.