Uncovered and Laid Bare

My friend, Leslie, recently shared a story about an incident at her house that most of you can identify with. Leslie is a HUGE fan of the TV show “24” and it was the night of the series finale and she had been watching it intently. She knew her son had a drink – a red one might I add – in his room, but with no drama while watching the show, she thought things were going well in his room. He had been so good while she watched her show! She was so proud of her parenting skills playing out in real life and so thankful that he had listened to her and allowed her to enjoy her favorite show.  After the show was over, and her mourning its end, she went in his room to check on him and noticed his beloved “Sponge Bob” lying in a peculiar spot on the floor. She proceeded to pick up Sponge Bob to put him away, only to find that her son had not only spilled his red drink on the carpet, but then tried to cover it up with Sponge Bob, thinking she would never notice.


Needless to say, his plan didn’t work and one of those painful childhood lectures ensued. Don’t we do the same thing to God?

“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

If we believe what this says, I guess we are much like Leslie’s son and are wasting our time trying to cover up anything in our life that is not pleasing to God. Leslie was more upset at her son for trying to hide what he had done, than she was over the spilled drink. She realized that the spilled drink, might leave a stain, but wasn’t the end of the world. She also realized something much more important though, teaching her son transparency.

“Everything is uncovered and laid bare”. Everything includes just that – everything. It doesn’t say “everything will be”, or “everything could be”, it says “everything IS”. That is present tense – right now. It’s already laid bare before him anyway. Any attempts we make to hide something from Him are a wasted effort. We might have a sin in our life that we think we can cover up, but He knows it’s there. Or another thought is -we may not necessarily be trying to "cover up" something, but instead, we just don't mention it to Him and hope He never brings the subject up to us, therefore, we never have to address it and never feel called to change.  He is our Abba Father, our Daddy, and much like we feel when our children aren’t completely honest with us, it grieves Him when we attempt to hide things from Him. God wants us to “move Sponge Bob” out of the way on our own, being completely honest and transparent with Him about where we have fallen short. He will tenderly love and restore you when there is repentance for “our stains”. It will be much less painful for us if He doesn’t have to pick up Sponge Bob Himself, revealing what He knows is already under there.

Holy Spirit, search my heart and open my eyes to the things that I have had “covered up” for so long that I don’t even see them anymore. I pray that You bring them to Your healing light so that that part of me can be restored. Father, I pray that it would grieve me to grieve You. I pray that my love for You would be so deep that it physically hurts me to let You down. You have not asked anything of me that the power that You have put within me can’t accomplish. I ask You today to make me a student of the things in my life that are not pleasing to Your eyes.

Amy Dotson, RPDOTK (Royal Princess Daughter Of The King)