The Secret Stash

Yesterday, my wife and I were out for an afternoon of shopping and time together.  It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and plenty of laughs.  We decided to stop at one of my favourite spots, Starbucks for a treat for us before we went for a walk.  I just ran in and ordered while she stayed in the car.  In my backseat were a few articles of clothing, a blanket and pillow (for those long road trips) and a few receipts.  However, what was under my seat (and possibly under the pillow too) was my secret stash.  

The secret stash is something I keep in the car for when I have that craving for something sweet.  I have some gummy candies, mints and other things, but nothing that melts.  It is meant for those moments when the sweet tooth just gets the best of you and you need a quick fix.  I value my secret stash quite a bit, but one thing I neglected to tell my wife, is that I have one.  *insert innocent angelic grin here*

How many times in our lives do we have those secret sins in our lives that no one else knows about?  What are we trying to hide under the seat and below the pillow so that no one will ever find it?  My mom and dad used a phrase a lot when I was growing up, "Be sure your sins will find you out".  I hated that phrase!  No matter what I did, I always got busted by them.  For instance, there was the time that I was given the car and told to go to work, pick up my cheque and head straight home.  I did that of course ... and then I went to my friend's place to play some basketball.  However, locking the keys in the car ... not such a good idea.  Did I mention that the car was running at the time?  Well, to make a long story short, I had to call my mom and have her come to my friend's house and let me in the car.  We laugh about it now, but the ride home was a little bit rough.

The bible says, "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"(Hebrews 4:13).  Paul also says in his first letter to the Corinthians: 

"My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right.  It is the Lord Himself who will examine me and decide.  So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time - before the Lord returns.  For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives.  Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due"(I Corinthians 4:4-5).

Just when you think that no one knows about that little sin that you have in your life, God knows.  That habitual thing that might plague you, God knows about it.  That secret stash you have, nobody else might know that it is there, but God knows that it is there.  In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet says,

"'The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?  But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.  I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve'"(Jeremiah 17:9-10).

What do you deserve today?  Let me take you back to my secret stash for a moment.  When I hopped back in the car excited for our walk, I noticed that the back seat had been straightened and that my secret stash wasn't in it's secret spot.  I was busted.  My sins had been made known.  However, I am very grateful for a loving and gracious wife.  Despite my shortcomings, she still loves me and forgives me.  We have already had a good laugh about it, but she still wants me to take care of myself and make sure that I am eating healthy things.  She loves me.

Jesus loves you!

We serve a loving and gracious God.  No matter how deep and dark our secrets are; no matter how big our secret stash is, He loves us.  It doesn't matter how bad you have been, His grace is enough for you.  The truth is though, no matter how good we are, we can never be good enough to earn salvation from our secret stash.  We all have fallen short of the mark and need God's saving grace (Romans 3:23).  But the best part is this, "But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness"(I John 1:9).

So no matter what is in the dark recesses of your life today, come clean with God and allow Him to reward you.  He is a great God!  He is a gracious and loving God!  Quit hiding your secret stash and allow God to change your heart today.