X marks the spot! Buried Treasure! Dig here! Clunk! Thud! Dud! Often we find nothing. If anything is hidden, it’s not here. A fake treasure map comes to mind. We all realize that some treasures may exist, but most of us will never find anything of value.
Add the thought that I’m pretty good at not needing to hide anything.
That’s the struggle we have when we do something that we must handle secretly. If you have anything to hide, especially that which is at odds with God, “…be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23) If it’s your secret diary, it’s easy to forget others will enjoy scandalizing your inner thoughts! Maybe you need to write in a secret code! What if they find it after you are gone, and no one gets to speak with you personally about your words? Wait! What if it’s a thought that goes awry… well, some think it’s okay to think it, only don’t act on it. Dwell on it often enough, and you will probably make it come true!
In this action and word sensitive world, perhaps it’s best to simply be above board on everything. Anything. Even then, someone will find fault and declare you are hiding something. At least you’ll be able to address is head-on.
I’ve Shared It Often
Looking to see if Jesus had a hidden message, or could he be compromised, the religious sought to push his buttons. Will he respond? Are there words that he may be condemned by?
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread:
and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
(Mark 14:1-2 KJV)
Jesus had some support. If not his close circle only, at least those who followed him for the miracles and teaching. Seek through the scripture, and you’ll find this becomes a common theme. Surely he has a secret viewpoint, and we can catch him, condemn and stone him. Slapping their hands together, they are ready to pounce! “There. That proves he’s a fake!”
But Jesus knew their thoughts even before they could put them into words or action. (Example Matthew 12:25) He would slip away, write in the sand, or confront them with a question, “What do you think?” This was his teaching style, much as my studies show it was normal for rabbinical schools. The key? It’s not just learning the facts, figures, and law by rote, but applying the knowledge to a proper solution.
Perhaps You, Definitely Me
Instead of assuming something is hidden, present a question that will allow someone to answer based on their views and training. That’s what I focus on with my blog. I’m simply trying to “Make sense of life, one thought at a time.” Sometimes the answer comes immediately, but there are many times its multiple approaches until the right way makes sense.
Someone recently said to me, “That’s not right…!” No. You don’t know who you are. But, the response came quicker than the thought/question could be presented. This is the time I wish my blog had a hidden note where I could record this example/sample, so when I read it later, I’ll remember what prompted the thought. But, wait! Would that be something hidden? Well, I guess so. Skip that point, okay?
We often make up our minds long before we address our response to the situation. That “long time” may be micro-seconds, but in our thinking, we’ve known this to be our answer when we were stressing over a situation. What if Jesus knew our thoughts before we even spoke? Maybe his question could give us pause, dig in for the hidden answer that surely lies in our training, and give us a voice to speak a proper result.
The Only Thing I’ve Hidden
I will confess that I’m no different than anyone else. Like a treasure trove, or so you may think, are my sin(s) that are hidden from God. How? Why? Because He forgave me. He remembers them no more! Depths of the sea, they are! (Micah 7:19) Behind his back! (Isaiah 38:17) In fact, he’s cast them from us as far as the east is from the west! (Psalms 103:12)
If it’s hidden from anyone, then perhaps you are the only one that still remembers them. Can our sins find us out? Sure. (My first scripture above!) But if they are removed from God, then I need to make sure I’m not condemned by the past that I want kept hidden.
That’s a treasure I pray you never find!