There once was a woman who answered an ad for a job.

She showed up for the interview, looking extremely professional, was well-spoken and seemed very well-educated. Sailing through the interview process, and consistently rising to the top of the candidate pool, she found herself with a job offer. Upon acceptance, she went through the tedious contracting process, providing all additional information that was asked of her, and returning all phone calls to answer questions that would pop up here and there. In the mean time, a pleasant space was created for her. A plan was made for her first day, to get her acclimated, then for her initial couple of weeks of training.

However, at the eleventh hour, a phone call came from the higher-ups. It seemed there had been a bit of a glitch in her background. An important reference hadn’t checked out, and thinking there had to have been a mistake, they called the usually-responsive woman.

Nothing.

Her first day came.

Nothing.

The sad thing is that, assuming she lied on that one important reference, the higher-ups said they probably could’ve worked with her if she had just told the truth.

According to what could be pieced together, she’d built a life on that lie. For years, it seemed that no employer ever checked that particular piece of information, and she had successfully worked in some impressive positions. But, years later, the faulty nature of a lie as foundation, finally gave way and the house of cards came down around her.

Sad. Unnecessary. And yet we all have a tendency to do it. We build ourselves up on outright lies, or partial truths, to get ahead or hide the past. But lies are like smoke and mirrors; they can distract for a while, but they don’t have any substance to actually support a life.

There is only ONE foundation that can properly, and forever, support a life, and it’s the wise man that builds his house upon It.

Yes, from the ground up, the wise man’s house is truth…all TRUTH.

Not a single card to be seen.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-27 NIV

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 NIV (emphasis mine)

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”John 8:32 ESV

“Truth lasts;  lies are here today, gone tomorrow.” Proverbs 12:19 MSG