Out of the Box

Some friends of ours recently bought a new mattress. This came in the perfect box for their young children to build a play house. As the children were playing in the house, their 3-year-old daughter climbed inside and closed the top. She called out, “Daddy come find me. I bet you don't know where I am!” Standing outside of the box, the entire family knew exactly where the sweet little girl was. It was only her innocent naiveté that caused her to believe that since she could not see out they would have no idea where she was.

The same can be said for us from time to time. By withholding a portion of our hearts from the Lord, we can find ourselves climbing into a box of deception. Although we cannot see the truth outside and believe that others cannot see how blind we have become, those on the outside know exactly where we are. Our own perceptions are impaired by the darkness that hiding the truth causes. We choose not to see the true state of our hearts and relationship with God and others, and eventually we cannot see. The box has not only caused darkness, but also separation from those we love.

Even when those around us may not see exactly what is going on in our hearts, God always sees us. He has said, “Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23-24 AMP) Even when we stray far from the Lord’s will, we are never far from His loving presence. King David knew this well. Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me, even the darkness hides nothing from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.” (Psalm 139:7-12 AMP)

When sin or hard times enter our lives we can seem to be far from God. He may seemingly not care, but the opposite is true. Jesus shared the Father’s heart with this scenario. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost? And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.” (Matthew 18:12-13 AMP) Jesus did not come to point out our shortcomings. He loves us and only desires closeness. “For the Son of man came to save [from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.” (Matthew 18:11 AMP)

John the Baptist came before Jesus to help others see the truth. “Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will make ready Your way - a voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)! John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness (desert), preaching a baptism [obligating] repentance (a change of one's mind for the better, heartily amending one's ways, with abhorrence of his past sins) in order to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins.” (Mark 1:2-4 AMP) Each of our hearts has valleys that need filling and mountains that need to be leveled. Whenever these troubles arise from sin, we cannot attempt to run and hide in a box. We must honestly admit our faults and open our hearts to allow God to forgive and smooth out the rugged paths. “Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain.” (Isaiah 40:4 AMP) Our hearts can be stable when open to God’s light.

King David, the man after God’s own heart, expressed these hard learned truths in his songwriting, the Psalms. “When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long.” (Psalm 32:3 AMP) God saw his sin even when David went to great lengths to cover it up. “Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.” (Psalm 51:6 AMP) Only after exposing the secret, inner sin of the heart, did David experience restoration. “Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8 AMP) David lived in that place of joy once again. We can too.

Uncover the secret places of your heart and expose everything to God. Come out of the box of deception and walk freely in the light of truth. There you will find forgiveness, healing and joy!