Dark Secrets

Wednesday February 18, 2015

Do you have a dark secret that you´ve kept from others? Maybe you did something you think is so bad that if people found out about it they would have nothing to do with you. Perhaps you´re hooked on watching porn or you struggle with substance abuse. Maybe you´re carrying deep hatred for someone who hurt you.

Some people think that it´s best to keep such skeletons tucked away in a closet. But as one man learned, keeping dark secrets can be its own punishment.

In 2 Samuel 11 we see the story of how David Israel´s second king, chose to have sex with another man´s wife and got her pregnant. When he was unable to cover it up, he arranged for the woman´s husband to be placed on the front lines where he died in battle. Shortly thereafter he married the grieving widow (2 Samuel 11:1-27).

For over a year, David hid his secret. He didn´t tell a single soul, refusing even to discuss it with God. But keeping it hush-hush tore him up inside. In Psalm 32, David wrote about this time in his life, "When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long" (v.3). The torture of hiding his secret ended when he broke down and confessed what he had done.

"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stoppe trying to hide my guilt. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone" (v.5; see also 2 Samuel 12:1-13).

Are you hiding a secret that´s making you sick inside? Confess it to the Lord and consider sharing it with someone safe who won´t be put off, won´t put you down, nor pull away from you. You´ll discover one of the "best kept secrets" of life - the power of vulnerably confessing our faults to each other (James 5:16). - Jeff Olson

Read
Psalm 32:1-11
Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, 
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord"
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord´s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Psalm 51:1-12
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins 
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Question to Ponder
What´s keeping you from confessing your dark secret sins to God?
How does unconfessed sin affect you and those you love?`

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 issue