CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 903

“Nothing is Hidden”

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13; NIV)

Good actors and actresses are able to ‘get in character’ to the extent that the audience believes that they have become the person they are portraying. It has been said the test of a person’s true character is how they act and behave when ‘no one is looking’. How many of us deliver academy award performances when we are at church vs. our true character displayed elsewhere? How would our behavior measure up when we are traveling on business away from home?

Many of us would be ashamed if our spouse, friends, or Pastor saw us ‘out of character’ in those settings where we think no one is watching. The truth of the matter is that what others think does not matter one bit. What truly matters is what God knows about our true character.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’ ” (Ezekiel 8:12) How foolish the elders of Israel were to think that they could live a life of sin behind closed doors.

How foolish are we today to ignore the fact that our lives are laid open before Almighty God, to whom we will, inevitably, one day have to give an account. But thanks be to God, that through Jesus Christ we can be clothed in His righteousness on that day for He bore the punishment for our sins through His death on the cross.

Is your character consistent regardless of the context you are in? Are you the same person at home as you are in church, at work, or on an extended business trip? Do you harbor any secret areas that you believe are well-hidden? They may be hidden from the people around you, but they are not hidden from God.

Are you plagued by the temptation to ‘get out of character’ when you find yourself alone or in certain contexts? Do you desire to have the depth and constancy of a Christ-like character regardless of your situation or circumstances? You can by abiding in Jesus, the Living Word of God. …“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31)

May you read, study, meditate, reflect and pray the Word of God every day. May you be equipped with the full armor of God to fend off the attacks of the enemy of your soul. May the two-edged sword of the Word of God cut, whittle, and shape, your character to be more and more Christ-like. For 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 4:12).