WRITTEN BY TIM LABRECHE
I recently had some new carpet put in my office at work. Like many things that happen in life, God used that situation to show me something I needed to see or remind me of something I may have forgotten.
When you get new flooring, whether it be hardwood, laminate, or carpeting, you have to do some prep work before you can have the new flooring installed. Many things need to happen before the new floor can be laid. Furniture has to move and maybe old nails and glue need to be removed in the preparation of the new and beautiful carpet that is to come. As I was preparing for the carpet that was to arrive the next day, I started the process of removing the furniture so the installers could do what they needed to do. I started with simple things. I removed the chairs. I cleared out the garbage cans. I took all of the books out of my bookcase so that it would be easier to move. But, once I removed the bookcase, that’s when God reminded me of something he said in Luke 12:2.
As Jesus was sitting with his disciples, he was warning them about the hypocrisy and misleadings of the Pharisees. He said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.”
Now Luke 12:2 is meant to show that the offenses of the Pharisees, or any of us holding and hiding sin in our lives, will be revealed, even if we try our hardest to keep it hidden. Whether it be an improper relationship, a hidden addiction, or even an attitude. It will eventually be revealed, even if it’s not until we stand in front of our King one day in heaven on the day of judgment. Regardless of the timetable, it will be revealed.
Back to my office… know that I’m pretty good at keeping my office clean. I make sure my desk is orderly at the end of each day. I empty my garbage. I dust and vacuum regularly. Not many people know this, but I even have my own feather duster under my desk to keep my electronics clean! When the time came to remove the furniture for the new carpet, I moved the bookcase and that’s when the promise of Luke 12:2 came to life. A small graveyard of insects was revealed. Flies, spiders and some other bugs too. Yuck. Hidden in the midst of my “clean” office were these unknown intruders. I walked by them every day. What was hidden was brought into the light when the bookcase was moved. We all have hidden things in our lives. Some we purposefully try to hide, but there are also those things that we may not recognize or know about.
In the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible, we read that King Saul was jealous of David. On multiple occasions, he pursued him and tried to kill him. In the midst of pursuit, David prayed a dangerous and risky prayer. In Psalm 139:23-24, we read David’s prayer as he’s in the midst of being pursued. He prayed:
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
There may be things that we’re holding onto that we may not even recognize. It could be unseen anger caused by someone’s actions or words. It may be a lie you believed that was passed on to you generationally. Whatever it may be, when we pray and ask our Father in Heaven to bring into the open what was hidden, He is faithful to do just that. I recently read a devotional written by Craig Groeschel about this piece of scripture and I love his commentary. He wrote, “Not only is this prayer difficult to pray, but it’s even more challenging to apply and live out… Be forewarned, this prayer has the potential to convict you. To correct you. To redirect your life.”
- What about you? Do you believe that what you’re trying to keep hidden will eventually be brought into the light?
- Ask our God to search your heart and to reveal any offense in you that you may not see or have knowledge of. He’s done that with me time and time again. He is faithful to do so.
