Hebrews 4:13 (NLT)
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
As a school teacher, I witness many aspects of human nature. Perhaps the most well-known in education circles is cheating. And then lying to cover up the cheating.
During last term, I glanced up to find one of my students passing a small slip of paper to another. I continued to watch inconspicuously as the receiver jotted down what was on the slip and slid it under her own work. A few minutes later, I strolled over to subtly confront the issue. When I asked for the cheat sheet, the first thing the young lady did was deny cheating in any form and fashion. As I removed the evidence from under her test paper, she transformed from denial and hiding to blaming the guy who gave her the cheat sheet. I proceeded to then ambush him, inquiring whether or not he passed her the paper. Naturally, he denied any knowledge of anything. After telling them I had watched the entire ordeal, they still lied about it several times before, finally, admitting their indiscretion.
Now, I’m not sharing this story to slam my students but to show you how we all are. We are liars. We are deniers. We are hiders. We are cheaters who think we get away with things. And have been since our ancestors Adam and Eve.
But the inspired author of Hebrews informs us that GOD knows everything. Sees everything. Hears everything. Even those things we lied about, feverishly denied, covered up, and spent countless hours worrying that someone would find out about. Even those things we only think about but yet still want no one to discover. Yes, he knows about that thing you've buried in the back of your mind too.
Rather than viewing GOD’s knowing-all as a scary thing, we should see it as comforting. Because of his unfailing love, we’re able to be open, honest, and transparent with him. He understands our struggles. He walks through our temptations. He realizes we wrestle with the human condition. And He loves us anyway. An awesome relationship awaits when we learn to be completely transparent with GOD. And then he will give us the strength to be open and honest with those around us. I’m one hundred percent sure that you’re not alone in your struggles!
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read page 32 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
