Members of Grace,
There's a space hidden, deep in your heart and soul. We all have a secret place, dark and musty. We visit it regularly, and from time to time. It's the place we keep our secret sins.
A man clicks on an image on his computer screen and sees pictures and movies he knows he shouldn't stimulate his imagination with. It is his secret.
A businessman travels to a conference hundreds of miles away from his wife and family. A colleague meets him there, hundreds of miles from her husband. They
keep the secret.
A woman smiles as her sister talks. But deep inside her, from a secret place, a voice cries out "Don't forget! Never let it die! Remember what she said, what she did. The day will come and she'll be sorry!"
The lifelong church member stands and speaks the words of the confession of sins: "I am a sinner," he says. But in his heart's secret corner he is thinking, "I am so glad that I'm not so bad. Not like him..."
The Gospel tells us not to worry about money, our food, or what we will wear. "Trust in God," it says, "All these other things will be given to you as well. God knows how to give good gifts to his children, and he answers the prayers of his people." But in the secret place we think, "What am I going to do? The debts are mounting up and the checking account is overdrawn! I'm ruined and am about to be discovered for being such a fake!"
In the secret place, someone has a pile of small things he took over the years...things that don't belong to him. A few pens, a few "borrowed" books, some CDs and DVDs. Loose change and petty cash that no one missed or ever will
notice. Stamps taken for personal use. Holiday Inn towels. Time...hours, adding up to days...wasted. A defaulted debt, thankfully now past the "statute
of limitation."
She feels guilty, so she seeks comfort. The bottle of wine and a joint always seems to help. In her secret place.
He confesses his faith. He invites his friend to church. He defends the Lord's honor. But in his secret place, he hides...afraid and ashamed to admit his doubts.
Do you wonder what you would act like if Jesus were here now? What if he were your chaperone on every date, every business trip? What if he ate every meal with you and sat next to you at your computer? What if he slept on a little mat next to your bed, and watched every tv program and movie with you? What, in the last week, would you have done differently? What if Jesus looked at your face
and knew exactly what you were thinking and feeling and planning? What if he told you he knows all about your secret place and what you are hiding there? Would you burst into tears? Would you admit the whole thing? Would you confess your sins? Fact is, Jesus does know our secret sins. He knows our bad attitudes and hypocrisies. He knows the weakness of your willpower, and your sneaky way of avoiding accountability. Of course you know Jesus said, "I am with you always." As God he is present everywhere, all the time, knowing everything.
But here's a surprise. He loves you anyway! Without being afraid, you can let him into that secret place. Lay those sins on his strong shoulder. Watch as he carries those sins to Calvary and nails them to the cross. Watch as he says, "It is finished. Paid in full." Hear him invite you to come to him, weary and burdened as you are. Receive his peace. His rest for your soul. Know that with his strength, he will help you fight. He will send his Spirit to help you...even in your secret place.
And God has given you resources to help you in your struggle. All the sins listed in this devotion are things a pastor would not be shocked to hear about. In fact, I would be glad to hear them confessed, to help you get them off your heart. I would consider it a privilege to be able to say to you, "Be of good cheer. Your sins are forgiven." All of them have been paid for and forgiven,
and you have been redeemed.
