We all have secrets, some that we will never divulge, and others that we
share only with those we consider trustworthy.
I was only twelve when I started attending high school in my hometown in
Belgium. In the old country we had memorable lunch breaks. They were two hours
long! We went home everyday to eat lunch with our families, and most days I
would walk with a friend from class who didn't live too far from me. We would
discuss school events, shared interests, holiday plans… In general, we just
enjoyed each other's company! Although this friend was a girl, I never saw her
as anything but a buddy, a guy with a feminine voice! One day, however, she told
me she had a secret. Curious, I wondered if she would share it with me.
Unfortunately she did, and afterwards, I sure wished she had kept that secret to
herself! At that age I was very girl-shy, so when she blurted out her secret, I
was more than a little embarrassed: "I am in love with a guy (she really meant a
boy!) in my class and that boy is you!"
My eyes bulged out of their sockets, and suddenly I no longer saw her as a
friend, but as a threat to my homeland security! My face turned bright red and I
was overcome with fear that she would reach her hand out to my face and try to
give me my first kiss. Yuck!!!
Before she could say anything more, I turned around quickly and gasped, "Oh my,
my! It's late! I need to go!" And at supersonic speed I left her behind.
Needless to say, I never walked home with her again.
Yes, I was indeed that shy and I am ashamed that I didn't keep up that
friendship. Poor girl! She must have felt really bad!
Yes, secrets are sometimes best left alone!
The evil one also has a so-called "deep secret". Hardly anyone is aware of his
secret. In fact the evil one loves it when people don't even believe he exists!
It sure makes it easier for him to have access to the minds of us "dumbos"! And
even among those who know about his existence, there are many who neglect
reading God's Word, that Word that screams out warnings against the secrets of
the evil one:
"Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her
teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets…" (Rev 2:24
NIV)
What secret is the apostle John referring to? It is mentioned at the beginning
to his letter to the church of Thyatira: "I have this against you: You tolerate
that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads
my servants into sexual immorality…" (Rev 2:20 NIV)
It's amazing how much devastation is sown through those last bolded words. What
was designated as a special wedding gift has been either degraded to animalistic
cravings of self-satisfaction, and to lustful objects. Anyone in this situation
is far from ever being satisfied. They are constantly haunted by an insatiable
hunger, and partaking in their pet sin always leaves them wanting more, always
thinking about their next prey.
You may be surprised that all these people are looking for happiness, and that
they are dismayed when they can't find it! They continue to hungrily search for
it, but it is always out of their grasp.
Maybe the next victim will be the one!
But it never is!
"It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all
the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and
emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods;
magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition;
all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love
or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided
pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival;
uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could
go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your
freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom." (Gal 5:19-21The Message)
Satan's deep secret leaves anyone caught up in it wanting and depressed. They
are in a self-inflicted prison where hope is never within their reach. They have
been disillusioned by the illicit lover called lust, which has the power to
destroy them every time they take a step in pursuit of this so-called happiness.
They will never reach their goal. They will never fulfill their full potential.
They are the hopeless ones that will remain hopeless.
That is, unless they give a chance to the Lover of their soul.
Only one can bring true happiness, but for some reason we cannot seem to fathom
how this can be true. But it is!
"But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much
the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for
others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with
things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic
holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal
commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct
our energies wisely." (Gal 5:22-23 The Message)
"I have a secret to tell you! Would you like to hear it?"
It all depends. Do you want to remain being my friend?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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