by David Brenneman
"For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and come to light." Luke 8:17.
One of Satan's subtle deceptions is that you can do things in secret that will never be revealed. This is simply not so. The Bible stresses that everything done in darkness will one day be brought to light. So before you commit yourself to do anything questionable, seriously ask yourself, "Am I willing for those
around me to know what I am about to do? Am willing for God to watch me participate in this activity?"
The knowledge that God sees what we do, the certainty that
we are accountable for every word and action, ought to dissuade
us from sin (2 Cor. 5:I0). But we can become so alienated from God that even this knowledge does not deter us. God promises that He will publicy expose our sin so that we must give an account to others for our actions. Ultimately, everything we do will be exposed on judgment day.
Still, some people believe they can sin against God, their families, their employers, or their friends and never be discovered. God has provided safeguard against sin: the certainty of disclosure. Scripture commands us to expose the deeds of darkness as we become aware of them (Eph. 5:11). As Christians
we are to be the in light that dispels darkness in our world. Sin cannot continue in the Christian's experience, for light cannot dwell with darkness. The only insurance against having your sins exposed is living a blameless life. - Experiencing God Day-by-Day.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.
"for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13.
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age," Titus 2:11-12.
"and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:27.
"I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10.
What shall we say to these things?
By some incredulous thought we might engage in that we've possibly done something in secret, that our lowly being might participate in or partake of a thought or activity that the Lord our God might not see?
My Dear Reader...you read the Scriptures presented...do you yet disagree or disbelieve any of these?
Should it be a thought to have that we are that alone in this world that our Savior who sought us out to place His Name upon our Adoption papers would forget us?
It was a very sobering devotional to read the other day that you just read right now.
The details in Psalm 139 concerning each of us. Would we follow the errant path of the children of Israel to believe that our lives are that insignificant before Him with whom we have to do?
It doesn't take much to get a false idea going with regards to what we believe. We're encouraged at a young age to figure out the peer pressures of our time and adjust accordingly in order to find our way. We are encouraged to compromise in this area or that area in order to fit in lest we not and find ourselves on the outside looking in.
Yet we are never alone.
Yet our thoughts are not ours alone.
Yet our path isn't ours to walk by ourselves.
Yet our choices we make, the thoughts we have, aren't ours alone to consider.
We are easily deceived by subtle compromises. This is ok, by our estimation. That won't harm anything, by our estimation. This will be good, by our estimation. Oh, we deserve this or that, by our estimation.
By our estimation...equals doing whatever is right in our own eyes.
We don't stop to ask God if it's going to help or harm our relationship with Jesus. We, in a profound act of stupidity, run headlong into thoughts or situations where we didn't ask God first and spend days, months, weeks, years or even decades trying to figure out how to get back to where and when we were waiting on the Lord. We might not even see the error of our ways at all. So convinced we are of how right our choices and decisions have been.
My Dear Reader, the challenge unto you is within this chorus:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart today
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray
See if there be some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free
Search me, O God, and know my heart today
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray
Listen, see if there be some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride
I now surrender, Lord, in me abide
I now surrender, Lord, in me abide (abide)" Originally from Search Me O God James E. Orr 1936.
We are the most convinced of what ought to be in our lives when it brings us such joy...but would Jesus really approve? That is the question. If in any way we have taken what belongs to Jesus and placed it in or on or through anything else...then we are the deceived.
Pray about what you've allowed to shape your life. Is it God honoring? Are you really pursuing what's right in Christ or what makes you feel good instead? Are you living a double life? Believing that you can do things in secret, think things apart from Jesus, that won't be noticed?
While we sleep, while we are awake, we are always on His mind.
Will shame consume us when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives before Him?
Pray that Psalm...Search me oh God and know my heart today. Create in me a clean heart. Lead me in the way everlasting.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
A corporation not for profit.
La Habra, CA All rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment