Monday, January 20,
2020
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Psalm 90:8
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Psalm 90:8
Secrets
Secrets. Sometimes
secrets are exciting, but sometimes they can be no fun at all. These secrets
are the ones that you hold inside for fear of anyone ever finding out the
truth. You fear rejection, judgment from
peers, and the destruction of your character. They can destroy trust, love, and intimacy. They can tear down self-esteem and
self-respect. Most importantly, they can separate you from God.
We all have secrets
and we all have secret sins. It may be a
heart issue like an attitude or hate towards someone, or it may be something bigger
– on the outside. We may feel that we
are ok because, after all no one knows about my secret sin but me, so therefore
I am not hurting anyone else or affecting their lives in any way. But two people know – you and God. It is
hidden – but it’s not. Psalm 66:18
warns us of one consequence of secret sin.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear
me”. In other words, if
you have a cherished secret sin that you habitually hold on to, it will hurt
your connection to God.
Last week we talked
about the woman at the well. She lived
with the burden of her sin which was definitely not a secret. That is why she came to the well when she did
– because no one else would be there.
But she wasn’t alone at the well because Jesus knew when she would be there,
and He went specifically to meet her.
God always comes. He always knows,
even when we think we are keeping it a secret.
It is never a secret to Him
When we have sin in
our lives, it never feels good for long because there is something in us that contradicts the sin we are involved in
and that is Jesus Christ. It is a contradiction
to who we are in Him and who He is trying to help us become. Sin is never a part of God’s perfect plan for
our lives. It doesn’t belong there and
therefore it causes sorrow and pain. It
may feel good at first and we may be able to talk ourselves into believing its
ok, especially with secret sins, but the reality is that it causes a separation
between us and God. There is danger of living an incomplete Christian life
where Jesus Christ is Lord everywhere but in our secret lives. Sin will eventually awake from sleep and
shake off its cover. If not for the saving grace of the Master’s hand, sin
would eat us alive.
What is it that has
that hold on your life? What shackles
you and keeps you from being free?
Whatever it is, it is keeping you from moving forward in your spiritual growth
and experiencing the power and blessings of God. Let it go. God loves us and shows
us mercy and forgiveness. You may be
fooling the rest of the world, but He sees your heart. There is no where you can go to hide from Him
and there is no secret He does not know.
But He loves us with unconditional, everlasting love anyway. He is our advocate and savior. He is our
rescuer and protector. Quit whatever it is that has a hold on you. Confess to Him and claim this amazing grace
now.
