Hidden Things - not of God

 “Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: "There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you."  Joshua 7:13 (read whole chapter)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NIV

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”Matthew 15:18-19

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.” 1 Corinthians 4:5

When we survey our life, we find three areas of it: mind, body, and heart.  As a world we have put billions of dollars into science finding ways to control and modify our body, and to a certain point, our minds.  We find medicines, surgeries, procedures, techniques, and so forth trying to modify our life.  These methods are limited to only affect our mind and bodies.  It leaves, what the Bible tells us, is the most important part of our lives, our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). 

It is our nature to desire acceptance, but also to crave the best for ourselves.  These conflicting desires often cause us to make a decision about whether we do the best for our self or others.  Sometimes we make these decisions for others, but we keep a hidden desire (sin) in our heart.  Left unchecked the desires stashed, or hidden, in our hearts can become so strong that we can no longer control them.  Then what we thought was hidden from everyone (except God) comes into the open and our sinful nature is exposed.  Usually this happens in a way that suprises and hurts someone around us. 

This tendency is why God reminds us in scripture to not keep hidden things. This can harm a church also, as the battle of Ai in Joshua.  Take a look at your heart and see what you find.  If you find remnants of greed, jealousy, anger, or other hidden sins in your heart, take action to remove it, at all costs.  This may mean praying to God and asking him to take it from you because you cannot let go on your own. 

Adapted from "It Came from Within" series of messages by Andy Stanley of Northpoint Ministries.