“For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
Luke 8:17 NASB
While living in the small town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, we were never far from wide open spaces. We had two dogs at the time, Hosanna, a chow-lab mix, and Shadow, a purebred registered Great Pyrenees. Though not a common occurrence, both dogs escaped from our fenced in yard and went missing one afternoon. Fortunately for us, after futile attempts to find them, they returned home a few days later. Their wanderings had left them hungry, filthy dirty, and suffering from a run-in with a porcupine – ouch! Both snouts were pricked with quills, and it was an arduous task removing them.
Several weeks passed and we noticed a bump forming on Hosanna’s nose. You guessed it. A piece of quill had obviously broken off and become imbedded and was working its way out. Eventually, the site festered, and with much effort and apparent discomfort to Hosanna, we were able to remove the culprit.
All too often, just like our pets, we are tempted to drift outside the boundaries God has put in place for our safety. For whatever reason, whether it be willful or ignorant disobedience, we stray from God’s truths. We come face to face with sin, and sometimes it wins. As a loving caretaker, God patiently removes the painful offences when we return and yield to Him.
However, just like porcupine quills, hidden sin can bury itself deep within our hearts. We can ignore it and pretend it isn’t there. Hidden from others, it can easily go undetected – for a while. But eventually, the ugliness will surface and fester and spew itself from deep within. Don’t be fooled – nothing is ever hidden from God. And He will one day bring it to the light.
King David, a man after God’s own heart, yet familiar with playing with temptation, offers us great hope in Psalm 19:12-13. Look at his declaration to God for help, and let it be your prayer today and always:
“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.” (NLT)
[Digging deeper – Psalm 10:11, 69:5, 139:23-24; Isaiah 29:15; Daniel 2:22; 2 Corinthians 4:2]
Watching and praying,
Beverly <><
Photo Credit: Photo Pl000809 by Jane Schlossberg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jschlossberg) via freeforcommericialuse.org
I watched a movie recently called Parental Guidance starring Billy Crystal (as Artie) and Bette Midler (as Diane). As grandparents, they had pretty much failed due to misunderstandings between them and their only child. Artie had also lost his dream job as a baseball announcer and was eagerly hoping for an audition with another team. In the meantime, Artie and Diane had an opportunity to watch their three grandkids for a week and were eager to redeem themselves in the sight of the family.
Ever had one of those moments in life when a loved one or girlfriend sought your advice, then turned around and did exactly what you had warned against? To make matters worse, you responded with the never-ending tirade of questions and the numerous reasons why she should have listened to you. The more you spoke, the worse it got. She was feeling great remorse, but you just kept crushing her spirit into the ground. I must confess; I have been guilty of such talk.