What we keep in the darkness, the devil holds power over; but what we bring into the light can be forgiven and dealt with by God.

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.  (Psalm 89:15)

All of us will have seen how, when we pick up a large stone in the garden, all the little creatures beneath it quickly scurry away, eager to get away from the light and to find some dark corner again. But some people are like that too. They hate the "light" – that is the light of truth, integrity and righteousness – and prefer the "darkness" – the darkness of lie, deceit and deception. But the Bible tells us that such things are contrary to God’s very nature; that He hates them and commands us to hate them too. We, the children of Truth, should be known for our truthfulness; we, the children of Light, should be known for our living in the light. And since God knows everything anyway, how can we think we can hide anything from Him?

Just how seriously God sees things like deception is revealed starkly in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Trying to put on a false front of generosity towards others, when in fact they cared only for themselves, they dropped dead when challenged by Peter for lying to the Holy Spirit and for trying to deceive the church. This sober lesson certainly brings home just how much the Spirit is grieved by any sort of deception and pretense.

Thankfully, there is a positive side to all of this! For God promises that if we will "walk in the light" with Him – bringing everything out into the open rather than hiding it – then we will always find forgiveness, release and a way forward. What we keep in the darkness, the devil holds power over; but what we bring into the light can be forgiven and dealt with, as the Bible shows again and again.

So, if you have been "keeping something in the dark," resolve to stop doing so right now! Love the light – and you will find the way out!

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  (1 John 1:6-7)

Copyright © 2017 Martin Manser and Mike Beaumont