Sin Isn't Secret From God

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
(Jeremiah 23:24)

Have you ever done something you knew was wrong and thought no one saw that so no one will know, like I have? I can be like a little child, thinking I can get away with sinful behavior. If I think I don’t sin now because I’m saved, I’d be sadly mistaken. I’m no different from anyone else. Everyone, even the saved, will fall into sinful wrong doing, thinking no one will ever know. We want to think it's secret sin.
This is a very convicting passage for me. I don’t like to think that everything I think, do and say is witnessed by God. I don’t think anyone likes to think about that. Even my deepest secret thoughts are not secret from him. Why do I think I can get away with anything? It’s literally making me squirm in my seat as I write this. These days, most of my sins are not willful. In other words, I don’t purposely set out to sin, but I still fail him daily.
What’s really uncomfortable for me are my willful sins. Even though there are temptations to sin all around me, God always provides a way for me to resist if I would just think. In thinking of some powerful Christian leaders who have fallen in recent history. They did not take God’s escape exit and resist the sin. I am no different from them. I could fall just like they did, it just wouldn’t be so public. If I can keep this passage in the front of my mind, realizing that God is everywhere I go, I will be much closer to his righteousness.
God knows everything I think, everything I do and everything I say. I cannot hide! There is no such thing as keeping a sin to myself! It’s kind of silly for me to try and hide from an all seeing, all knowing and ever-present God. He knows I will fail him; he knows I cannot be perfect, but he still wants me to try. All he requires is for me to admit my sin and ask him for forgiveness. With his pardon, my slate is wiped clean!




Lord God, you are omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. You know every thing, at every time – past, present, and future – while holding all things together with the power of your thoughts. How do we hide from you; why do we even try? We go about our lives, trying to escape your gaze, while knowing, deep down, there is no way. We try to put you in a box in the back of our minds, so you won’t know what we’re doing. We think you won’t see when we covet the things our neighbors have. We think our lustful thoughts are secret and unknowable. We want to believe you won’t know, but we’re only fooling ourselves. Holy Spirit remind us every day that you are always with us. You will never leave us, even when our own thoughts seem to drive us far from you. Forgive us when we wander off the narrow righteous path. Help us to regain our steps and realize we cannot hide from you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!

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