January 21 I Tuesday

Exodus 1-3

Matthew 14:1-21

“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.”   —Hebrews 4:13

There is nothing we can hide from God. He is in all places at all times; sees all things and knows all things. Job says of God, “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light” (Job 12:22).

If we are not afraid to admit, many of us secretly harbour sin, which slowly invades every avenue of our lives. Deep, hidden sin is the most dangerous and toxic of all. We cannot conquer it in the dark, because sin hidden in the dark has no boundaries. Nothing contains it, so it expands with time and becomes more toxic. Usually, secret sin starts out small and seems relatively harmless, but if we continue in it, it will take root and grow until we find ourselves doing things we would never have done a year ago, a month ago or even a week ago. Soon it will begin to wreak havoc in our lives and the lives of those we love. 

Psalm 90:8 says, “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.” Sin has to come out. It has to be exposed and the one thing we should not be afraid of is confessing our sin to God. This way, it is brought into the light where God can deal with it. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The only way sin leaves our body is through our mouth, but the more we keep it hidden, the more power it holds over us. It is a deadly poison that must be drawn out in order to be free of it.

Nothing catches God by surprise. He is never outwitted, never defeated and never outranked. Out of His great love for us, He sent His Son into the world, not to condemn us, but to forgive and cleanse us. Jesus is the light of the world and His invitation is, “Come to Me.” We can choose to live in darkness and cope with a besetting sin on our own, but in the end it will defeat us. But we can come to Jesus, confess our sin, submit our lives to Him and ask for His help. Not only will He forgive and cleanse us, but He will prepare us for a new life indwelt by His presence and power. The road may not be easy, but it ends in triumph when we surrender to Christ as Lord and trust His working in our lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I trust Your working in my life and submit entirely to You. I ask Your help in overcoming sin that I keep buried. Thank You, Lord.