Transformational Tip
When my daughter was 4 years old she had this belief that if she covered her face no one could see her…if she couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see her. When she would become “invisible” I would call out “where’s Jenna..I can’t find Jenna.” I could see her smiling behind her little hands as she covered her face. We can learn so much from children.
A Stepping Stones member wrote a heartfelt response to the September 28 devotional titled, Afraid to Fall? At the end Scott wrote “…I don’t want to be lukewarm anymore – living in passivity and uselessness to the one who saved me… but I really don’t want my secrets to be uncovered…”
So many of us live with this fear…fear of God knowing our secrets…our sins. News Flash! He already knows everything about us. We can try and cover our face and become invisible, we can try to run and hide. But He knows every move, action and thought…and he still loves us…still forgives us. There are no secrets.
Our secrets usually translate to “our sins.” Many times our sinful ways give us the false impression of peace and security. Many times we resist giving ourselves totally to God because we know this means giving up our embedded sinful ways; stop the drugs, stop the lustful thoughts, try and stop our sinful attitudes. What we don’t realize and many times don’t believe is that God’s peace and blessings are oh so much more satisfying than our “secrets.”
Today, accept the fact that God sees everything thing you do, hears everything you say…knows everything thing you think. Right now, pray to Him about your darkest secret. He already knows but practice opening up to Him to receive His guidance, forgiveness, and peace. You can take your hands off your face; he sees you and loves you. All he asks is that you Believe>Receive>Become. Click here to share with the stepping stone community your thoughts on this devotional. Let’s learn and grow together.
Prayer
Dear Father,
Yes, I have been trying to keep my secrets from You. How foolish this sounds even as I pray these words to You. I have been fearful to have my sinful past illuminated by Your brilliant light. My tendency has been to hide from my own sins, seeking refuge in the darkness where I have believed, like my daughter, that I become invisible. In that darkness I indulge in self-pity, blaming and even hatred. I know and believe that You are the light of the world Father…and Your illumination decimates my darkness. Thank You God. I come close to You my Lord and God to let Your light envelop me, driving out the darkness and filling me with Your peace. I do not want any more secrets…for I know that secrets created loneliness and distance from You. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, and all God’s people said, – AMEN!
The Truth
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Malachi 4:2
Comments (2)
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Thank you for this devotional today. It was a very powerful prayer for me. I am still thinking about what I shared yesterday, and Dr. Karl's response. When I post from the identify of my past, it will have to be done anonymously. God has taken me on a powerful journey this past year to uncover past hurts and let them finally heal.
So on the one hand, I must have secrets with many people, because publicly exposing the truth of my past could hurt many of my immediate family. On the other hand, I like the phrasing from yesterday, "If you are in a church that will not be compassionate toward your issue and will judge and avoid you, get out of that church to one that will care for you." I just had an experience with someone in my church that repeatedly touches me, and that makes me uncomfortable. It is not of a sexual nature that I can tell, but it is unwelcome contact. Based on my interactions with that person, and some other things, I am going to take a break from those people for a while, and examine my part in the situation.
I am overjoyed over the fact that God loves me, and can handle the secrets that I have kept for so long. I will definitely pray that prayer many times today, and print it out for the future. Thank you for the positive reminders!!
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thanks for the encouragement and your willingness to look to God for understanding, healing, growth and fulfillment. if you are looking for something to help you, we have developed a workshop called WITHIN REACH to help you understand how our past influences our thinking and decision-making of today. then equips you to take practical steps to overcome it, apply the bible very concretely and practically, and attain your God-given potential as you heal. see the link on the right margin or the website. by HIS grace, karl