Throughout my life I’ve had too many secrets. There have been things that I’ve thought or done in which I felt that as long as nobody knew, I was safe. But the thing is that God knew. There comes a time when God has a way of bringing everything out into the open.
In 2 Samuel David had a secret. He had sinned against God with Bathsheba and then he killed off her husband to hide it. In 2 Samuel 12 God sends Nathan to David to reveal David’s sin. In the process of revealing God through Nathan rehearses all of the blessings that He had blessed David with. He had anointed him king and delivered him from Saul. He had done all of this for David and would have done more.
Let me just stop there and say that I’ve been there. God in my life has done so much for me. It is amazing…absolutely amazing what God has done for me. He has given me opportunities that I could not have done on my own.
After rehearsing the blessings he then asks him why has he despised the Word of the LORD, to do what s evil in his sight? God had done all of those things for Lord and David repaid him by despising God’s Word.
Been there too. I’m ashamed to tell you that I have but I have. And it didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow process and I kept my secrets along the way. It reminds me of the new video by Casting Crowns.
You can keep your little secrets but in the end God knows. God has a way of showing us grace and mercy and giving us time to repent and return. If we don’t, though, there comes a time when He acts just like He did in David’s life. Nathan told him this: 12 ““For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ 2 Samuel 12:12 (ESV)“ God has a way of bringing the secrets to light and when He doe it is not pretty.
David’s secret sins cost him. They cost him dearly. They cost those closest to him dearly as well. Yes, the Lord forgave him but the scars from his sin would effect his family for many years to come.
We know David’ secret. What’s yours? What are you hiding?
Once when I was young I stuck a key in an electrical plug in. I had the fire knocked out of me. It was not very smart. Because of that to this day I can’t stand to be shocked in any way form or fashion.
Going through the experience of God’s great reveal has taught me several lessons. First it taught me to never ever ever take for granted God’s goodness. Second, always take advantage of God’s mercy and grace when He gives you the opportunity to come clean. Third, sin hurts. What I experienced when I failed the Lord was horrible. It was absolutely horrible. It was worse than sticking the key in the plug in. I never ever want to go down that road again. EVER!
David failed in private long before he ever failed in public. So do most of us. We allow little private sins to enter in. We keep them as our little secrets. Before we know it they have gotten bigger. But we think we can manage them. We miss God’s opportunity to come clean and before we know it our private failures start hurting those we love.
