Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
One of the most popular childhood games that most all of us have participated in is the game of hide-and-go-seek. As a matter of fact, I still play this game with my children at least 2-3 times per month. The ones that prosper the most in this game are those who are good at finding the best hiding spots.
Our home, as with many homes, has some amazing hiding spots. Unfortunately, I am a little too big to take advantage of these “hidden gems”, so when I do play with my kids, I usually am the one that helps place them in these spots. We’ve used laundry hampers (gross I know, but at least I’m not the one in there). I even had one of the kids put their jackets on and hung them up on the rack (propped up of course).
Perhaps the best hiding spot I have found in our home has got to be the good ole’ pillowcase! I would clear the bed from all blankets and stuffed animals – because we know clutter will only draw more attention to the hiding spot. Then I would set up two standard pillows, removing one of them from its pillowcase and placing one of the smaller kids in its place (pillowcases used are porous and the opening of the case is pointed toward the wall which happens to be where my child’s head is for easy breathability—in case anyone is concerned). This spot has yet to be discovered and if my other four children don’t read the PBC blogs, we are safe.
Since the beginning of time, a natural behavior for mankind has been to hide that which he does not want to be seen. When Adam sinned in the garden, God had to say “Where art thou” because he went into hiding but ultimately was banished from the Garden of Eden. Achan tried to hide his sin, but, he and his family were killed for this transgression.
When David committed adultery with Bathsheba which led her to be with-child, he tried to cover it up by bringing her husband home from the battlefield. When that didn’t work, he orchestrated for Uriah to be killed. As a result of David’s sin, God punished him with some of the most severe family crises that one can experience.
We see a clear pattern here in each of these Bible illustrations. Each of these men sinned. Each of these men tried to hide their sin. Yet each one of these men paid dearly for their sin. The Bible tells us clearly in Numbers 32:23 “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
One of the attributes of our amazing God is that He is Omniscience, which goes to say that He is “All-knowing.” Jeremiah 23:24 tells us “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD.”
Proverbs 15:3 also reminds us “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” There is not one action we can commit without God being aware of it, yet how often do we still try to “hide our sin.” One way that we hide our sin is by refusing to confess it.
It’s not so much that we don’t think God knows what wrong we are doing, as much as just not wanting to accept that we are doing it in the first place. This can be likened to a spouse expecting to move on with their everyday living in their marriage without taking the time to “right a wrong” that they knowingly have committed. They want to hold hands still. They want to go on outings still. They want to be lovey-dovey still, but they just don’t want to acknowledge outwardly what they already perhaps acknowledged inwardly.
God is fully aware of our sin-nature. This is nothing new to Him. Can you imagine for one moment how many Christians God has observed since the beginning of time? He has seen it all and He understands that while we cannot rid our lives of the sin-nature on this side of eternity, we can still have an abundant life for God’s glory, but it must come by way of confession!
I John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is more than willing to forgive. God is more than willing to restore…but we must stop hiding our sin and come to the place where we confess it before the Lord.
What sin have we been hiding? Is it something our spouse doesn’t know about? Maybe our children have not detected it. It could be a besetting sin that we have been trying to keep hidden for all these years…and it’s gotten to the point where if we don’t confess it not, it will destroy us!
God has given many examples of people that have hidden their sins and have been destroyed. Don’t be another example, but rather use these examples to learn from them. Hanging on to hidden sin is like a ship that has lowered its anchor. From a distance, the ship looks fine, but an up-close inspection would prove that the ship isn’t going anywhere until it decides to raise its anchor.
We’ll never move forward and accomplish what God has set out for us if we don’t take care of our hidden sins. Confess our sin, don’t hide it. Forsake our sin, don’t muse on it. Then we can enjoy the benefits of a life that is truly open before the Lord.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE DAY
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
