Hiding from God

At least once a month, I get a message or call from another woman who shares my struggle with food and exercise. And I sigh. A big, huffy, deep sigh. Because it is a reminder to me of where I have been and how much further I have to go. It encourages me to recall that my life is not my own. It was bought with a price, and I am not in charge. And aren’t we all glad for that? If I was in charge of me, I would be a wreck. Just looking at back at my poor eating decisions, bent toward laziness and lack of exercise is a good indicator of what a mess I’ve made of my life.

So, I sat across from one of these ladies recently and we commiserated about our unhealthy choices and desire for those things that are not good for us. We are both drawn to sugar and are often tempted by well-meaning friends who say, “A little won’t hurt you,” or “You deserve it.”

Amidst the confession, God was faithful to remind us of His goodness. He used His Word to reveal Himself to us in such a way as to bring conviction, repentance and renewal. Psalm 90:8 says, “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” NOTHING we do is hidden from Him. What we eat, how much we eat….He sees it all. We can even fool other people, but not Him.

We both talked about times where we have hidden things. I can remember a time when the girls were younger (old enough to see what was in the trash) and I would hide candy wrappers in the bottom of the garbage can. I didn’t want them to know what I had done. I wanted my choices to be hidden from them. But, the results were obvious….weight gain, no energy, etc. So in essence, I wasn’t fooling anyone.

But we often think that if something is hidden, NO ONE knows about it. They can’t see it so how can they possibly know. Do we really think that God doesn’t know? Have we compartmentalized our lives in such a way that we think we can deceive the Lord? He only sees the good things we do or what we want Him to see?

For many of us, we want people at church or friends who are believers to see the “good” side of us. The part of us that is kind to our husbands and children, the healthy eating, the great exercise, patience, servant leadership….Why? So that others will think highly of us. But, that is WRONG. It is unbiblical. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” He knows it all.

And thus, I leave us all with a challenge today. Confess your sins to the Lord. Lay it all bare before Him. Know that He already knows, and He loves you anyway. Do not keep anything from Him.