nowhere to hide

This morning I read Proverbs 15. Verse 11 really jumped out at me. I'm not sure why. The truth in it is not something I don't know or haven't heard - it just stuck out.

"Death and Destruction lie open before the Lord -- how much more the hearts of men!"

A scary thought. Even the very mystery of Death is no mystery to God. He knows the inner workings of the process. And in his infinite knowledge, just as he knows all about Death, he knows every part of me. Sometimes I wish he didn't. Sometimes there are things in there I'd rather him not see. I can hide from my wife. I can keep things from my kids. I can put an image out there for my church to see. But God sees it all. He knows. Nothing is hidden from him. Just like Adam, my soul is naked before him, no matter how I may try to put leaves on top of it. I'm an introvert anyway, I don't like being that open, and its frightening.

But its also empowering! God sees all the gunk in there and yet he still wants to use me in his kingdom and has gifted and enabled me to do so. While I don't like that he can see all that is not right with my heart, I think he can probably see some good stuff in there that I haven't even seen yet. Things that he put there when Christ came to live in me. And he put those thing there because he had a plan for me - and he will complete it. That's exciting!

May God reveal our hearts - both the evil we need to purge and the good we need to grow in.