Marty, my hairdresser, told me about this guy she knows—he has flames tattooed on his scalp. With a full head of hair, no one can see the inferno on his skull. But, when he shaves his head, the fire is visible. It’s kind of a cool concept—now you see it, now you don’t. Unless he chooses to share it, the tattoo is his own little secret.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a secret. He refused to disclose the contents of a disturbing dream. He challenged his advisors not only to interpret the meaning of the nightmare, but to describe the events in the dream as well (Daniel 2:5).
As one of the king’s advisors, Daniel would be killed unless he could detail and decipher Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel prayed, and God revealed the dream to him in a vision (Daniel 2:9). King Nebuchadnezzar responded by bowing down before Daniel and proclaiming, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods . . . a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret” (Daniel 2:47).
The point here is not that we should all expect to name and interpret dreams. It’s that God enabled Daniel to do this because “[God] knows what lies hidden in darkness” (Daniel 2:22), and He sees everything—both our good deeds and the shady stuff we’d rather not discuss. He’s aware of our private addictions, corrupt thought patterns, and the double crossing that we think no one notices. God also knows that these kinds of secrets burn in our hearts like invisible fire.
Fortunately, there’s no “secret” so shocking that it can keep us from God’s love. He’s the righteous Judge and—at the same time—He is love (1 John 4:8). If we expose our secret sin and confess it to Him, He will “forgive us” and “cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 8:22–9:1
More:
Read Psalm 32:3-5 to see what happened when David came clean before God.
Next:
When you remember that God’s all-seeing eyes are on you, how does that prompt you to stop some actions and start others? Why do we sometimes refuse to discuss our sin with God?
OnMyWayHome on July 22, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Daniel 2:22
22 He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.
“What is done in the dark will eventually come out in the light.” I remember that well as a child I understand it more now and Daniel 2:22 makes it even clearer.
Thank you
daisymarygoldr on July 22, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Good thoughts OnMyWayHome! And Jennifer, your post brings to light one of the more overlooked aspects of our Christian living. It is so important to confess and renounce my secret sin and avail the mercy of God’s gracious pardon. If I don’t confess them now, then certainly they will be revealed later (I Tim 5:24).
It is no secret that we can have no secrets from God. And it is only to our detriment if we try to cover-up and hide from Him like Adam and Eve did in the garden. Concealing sin only leads to guilt which causes heaviness of the heart, ruptures our relationships, destroys our confidence and will end up making us feel sick.
My heart is so deceptive that sometimes I find it difficult to detect the hidden sins that lurk within the dark recesses of my being. Now, this doesn’t mean I should subject myself to constant navel-gazing introspection. But like King David, my prayer to God is: “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.”
Having said all of that, here is a question to make us think: The Bible teaches us that all sin (secret or obvious), past, present, and future, is forgiven through faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Besides, God already knows and sees everything. So, why bother to expose secret sin?
jennifer benson schuldt on July 26, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Good thought-provoking question. I think there is value in “coming clean” about our secret sin because being transparent can help other people. If they struggle with the same issue, they may not feel so isolated and begin to talk about the problem–to expose it and become accountable with people who can help.