“Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us?  Who will know?’”   Isaiah 29:15

“Everything exposed by the light becomes visible.”  Ephesians 5:13

Isaiah hath foretold it … our daily news!  Ponzi schemes, stolen identifications, phone scams; embezzling – even from churches, youth sports, PTAs;  political corruption and extortion; college entrance schemes; dalliances; hit and run ……. And hide.  Names we read in the news have been seen.  We know.  But until one is caught and exposed … who saw?  Who knows?  So on they go. 

Other than early idyllic Eden, hiding and coverup is as old as history.  Someone made a big mistake – opened “Pandora’s Box” as some say.  And evil came into the world.  And then the  hiding began, as if God wouldn’t know.  “It was the woman.”  “It was the serpent.”  “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?”  “Who me?  Not me.”  “Not you?  Then who?” And so on we go. 

Not all sins are illegal or newsworthy.  We all have unpublished sins … greed, impatience, jealousy; sins of omission … knowing what is right and good, but not doing it.   Who sees?  Who knows?  So who cares?  Those we have ignored, resented, spoken unkindly to; those needing help and still wanting … these know we haven’t loved our neighbors as ourselves as we were commanded.  

We worry more about the consequences of human authority –incarceration, fines, bad publicitty; being grounded, no car keys.  However we try to hide our shortcomings, what peace we have that we do not need to – cannot – hide our failures from very God.  God … our wise, all knowing, merciful parent, hears us sneaking to our room in the dark, late – again. And forgives us.   

Merciful God, “ … we confess we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed; by things we have done and things we have left undone.”  Help us see your light along our path.  Guide our ways to do your will.  Amen  

Verla Olson 

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party