Handling Secrets

“I the Lord search the heart
    and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
    according to the fruit of his deeds…

“O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
    who sees the heart and the mind,..
   to you have I committed my cause.” Jeremiah 17:10; 20:12

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

“God… knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalm 44:21

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you…

“He answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.'” Matthew 6:1-6; 13:11

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:16

The God of secret majesty in the crevices of creation is omniscient. What are beautiful secrets and undiscoverable treasure to us are known to Him. He tucks into us and intends that we hide deep, precious soul gems while revealing by conviction what He wants to extricate. But when it comes to secrets, we tend to get things topsy–turvy. Prompted by pride and unholy ambition, we make display of and promote things for which we are proud, while attempting to hide things that are shameful. Only the Lord can upright what we get so wrong. (Job 38:16-18,36; Psalm 139:3-6,12-16)

For the Christian, it is vital to be truthful about the seen and unseen. The Lord can reveal what we wrongly attempt to keep secret, and cleanse and redeem by bringing it into His light. As we increasingly expose ourselves to His healing truth, we will desire more and more to discover His hidden depths and be transformed. (1 John 1:4-9)

What am I hiding that the Spirit wants to reveal? Would I treasure more the secret things of God? Which desire is evidenced in my schedule, demeanor, choices? How willing am I to invest time and attention to come clean, and discover facets of the Almighty unknown to the madding world? (Matthew 13:44–46)

Lord, keep me open toward you while seeking the very limits of your beauty, majesty, and might.