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When We Listen to the Wrong Voice

When We Listen to the Wrong Voice

Last updated on: August 24, 2026 at 1:51 pm by Martin Thomas Johnson

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When We Listen to the Wrong Voice 2026-08-24T13:51:36-04:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

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What Does Nāšā’ Mean For Lindsey Clancy & Canadian Tariffs?

This weekend, the big news has been about the prosecution of Lindsay Clancy and her defense team resting their case for the deaths of her three children. The now handicapped mother admitted to killing her three children.

Image by Pixabay

However, she claimed to be suffering from postpartum psychosis as a defense for the murders. The children, ages 8 months, 3 years, and 5 years, were powerless to defend themselves against their own mother. Her temporary choice comes with permanent consequences.

She claimed to have heard a man’s voice telling her to kill her own children and freely chose to listen to it instead of how God tells us to treat children. Her sinful nature caused her to choose to listen to the wrong voice:

Easy
Selfish
Uncompassionate

To be honest, we have all been tempted to do the wrong things in life if we believe we will like the outcome. Part of living in a fallen world is that we live with other fallen people in it (Genesis 3:16-19, James 3:2).

Our corrupt nature causes us to do what is sinful (Genesis 6:5, Romans 7:18-23). It contradicts God’s perfect and loving nature, even for God’s people (Psalm 51:5-10, Galatians 5:16-17). That is why the Bible warns us how our hearts deceive us (Jeremiah 17:9-10, Mark 7:20-23).

What Is Deceive

It is both prideful and foolish to believe we can listen to our hearts, as many false teachers deceive people with today. Deceive is a verb defined as, “To cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid: ensnare.”

Image by Pixabay

Our hearts can deceive the most educated person, although they don’t have mouths and can’t speak. Deceiving or deception is dangerous because it often involves or comes from something good or that we like. The desire is the hook, and deceiving is the poison.

That is why the Bible has a lot to say about being deceived and deception (Proverbs 6:16-19, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 6:7). Before we come to God, we follow the ways of the world and our deceptive hearts (Romans 1:21-25, Ephesians 2:1-3).

God and His Spirit rescued us from our sins and death (Romans 6:22-23, Colossians 1:13-14, Thessalonians 2:13-14). The early church leaders warned us about those who deceive to lead us astray; that is why we are commanded to test the spirits (Acts 20:29-31, Romans 16:17-18, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Colossians 2:4-8, 1 John 4:1-21). The apostles remembered their Jewish education about deception and being deceived.

Nāšā’

The Prophet Moses tells us about the first great deception, when the crafty serpent deceived the first Adam and led humanity astray from God (Genesis 3:1-6, 13-15). After the fall, humanity became wicked before God because they had been deceived by the serpent and their evil hearts (Genesis 6:5.

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for deceive is nāšā,’ and it can also mean, “Seize, utterly, or greatly,” depending upon the context it is used in. Later, God cleansed the earth through the great flood (Genesis 6:11-18).

Then God called to Abram to create a holy nation dedicated unto Himself (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8). God wanted a people who would faithfully listen to Him rather than to their deceptive hearts and the ways of the world (Deuteronomy 5:29; Jeremiah 7:23-24; 11:7-8).

God hates those who deceive, and all who mishandle the truth; those who practice any form of deception are an abomination to Him (Leviticus 19:11, Deuteronomy 25:13-16, Psalm 5:6, Proverbs 6:16-19):

Lying
Bearing false witness
Dishonest business practices
False oaths and vows
Sowing discord
Hypocritical worship
False speech

Jesus announced Himself as the Truth to His followers (John 14:6). He taught His followers to walk in the truth because He knew and saw the deception of Satan firsthand (Luke 22:31-32, John 8:31-32; 18:37).

Image by Pixabay

Our Rabbi rebuked the religious leaders who did the deceptive works of the devil (Matthew 23:13-36, John 8:39-47). Furthermore, Jesus warned His followers about false teachers and snakes who will multiply among God’s people in the last days (Matthew 24:4-5, 11-13).

Canadian Tariffs

In other big news this weekend, President Trump and his administration escalated the trade war with our closest neighbor, Canada. They announced that a 50% tariff will be placed on some Canadian goods beginning this past Saturday morning.

The announcement came just days after the president and his administration announced a potential deal with one of our closest allies and partners. It is the same backtracking and manipulation that the president has been using in the war with Iran.

Canada’s Prime Minister stated that negotiations with America fell apart because the Trump administration wanted more than they were willing to give. The so-called “Christian nation” has forgotten to put others first and to love our neighbors (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31, Philippians 2:3). Once again, the president’s actions contradict his own words and those of God:

Deceptive
Prideful
Unloving
Power-hungry

That is why I am confused by so many conservatives who claim to follow Jesus, yet still support and brag about a leader who does the opposite of what God says. Many conservatives are willingly listening to the wrong voice, just because they believe it will make them rich and great. They have deceived themselves (1 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 6:3, James 1:22, 1 John 1:8).

They have forgotten to put God first and do what He says (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 6:33, John 14:15). Many have bought the same lie the first Adam did in the garden (Genesis 3:4-5). We cannot follow a God of truth and anyone who nāšā’!

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