In the Secret Place

Psalm 142: 5-7

⁵ Then I pray to you, O Lord.
    I say, “You are my place of refuge.
    You are all I really want in life.
⁶ Hear my cry,
    for I am very low.
Rescue me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Bring me out of prison
    so I can thank you.
The godly will crowd around me,
    for you are good to me.”

We are what we do in secret! Many times, I have come home and seen my kids involved in something that crossed the line, whether it be coloring on the walls or not doing the chores they were asked to do. I have also caught them in acts of kindness and goodness while no one was around. We are what we do in secret!

David is in a cave, alone, in this Psalm. Verses 5 through 7 sum up what he was doing when no one was around. In a cave, hiding from Saul and running for his life, he was praying to the Lord for protection. When I was a kid, our pastor told us to be about the Father’s business. We were confused, so he rephrased it, “Whatever you are doing, do it as unto the Lord!” He said, “If Jesus were to pop in and see you doing what you’re doing, would He be pleased?” Simple, but very impactful.

What do you do when no one is around? Do you retreat to a place where no one can see you so you can be alone to do whatever you do? Is it pleasing to the Lord? If Jesus popped in on you, would He approve? Are your hands idle, not doing anything? Or are you consumed by something that only you can do alone? At your core, do you truly want to do the will of God, or are you just playing around when other people are watching? We are what we do in secret!

If you’ve ever tried to plant anything, you’re familiar with rot. You get rot when the plant cannot drain properly and moisture builds up, slowly growing from the bottom up until one day you find the plant suffering. To save it, you have to replant it, put fresh dirt in a new pot, and replant it to restore its health.

Sin is the rot in your life. It builds up slowly, rotting away until one day everyone can see it. At that point, you may have to replant your ways and redirect your steps. It may be messy, but it’s necessary. We are what we do in secret!

Prayer: Father, help us clean up the sin in our lives so that it can be drained out of us before the rot of sin begins to ruin what everyone can see. Help us to set our faces on You and Your righteousness today. In Jesus’ name, amen.