Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Caught with Your Pants Down


Proverbs 14:2
I am sure you have heard the expression “snake in the grass” to describe someone. If not, you can now use it yourself to describe someone who is always changing their position, always moving to avoid being pinned down. A few politicians come to mind, don’t they!
Politicians are not the only people who are devious. Kids stealing cookies from the cookie jar is a common image of being devious. They see what they want an manipulate their environment in order to get what they want, even though they know they are not supposed to have it. They move the chair, position a box, climb up and in triumph open the jar and eat the booty. And then with the evidence still on their cheeks, in triumph and with a straight face, they answer “No” to the age old question, “Did you eat a cookie.”
While the evidence of misdeed might not be as visible as crumbs on the face, we can’t hide from the LORD. He sees everything, even the attitude of our heart. We may be able to pull the wool over someone else’s eyes, but the LORD can see through wool!
One of the great drawbacks of being devious is that you have to always be on guard. You never know when you are going to get caught and have to face the consequences of your misdeeds. Some have gotten caught so often that they no longer fear getting caught.
So what determines the individual’s direction? It is our attitude toward the LORD that makes the difference. If we have a proper understanding of the LORD, we will live our life in line with His character. We will reflect His integrity in everything we do. Just as He doesn’t change from moment to moment, so we will be consistent. We can live without the fear of being caught. We can breathe easy, knowing that there is nothing that is hidden that will be discovered.
If we don’t honor Him, but despise His authority in our lives, then our path will be very different. Those in the entertainment industry become a very easy target to illustrate this. They make sanctimonious statements about the merit of some particular position, and then they do the very opposite. Just yesterday Matt Damon did just this. He has been touting the virtues of public school, almost demanding that people use it, and then he puts his children in private school! He sounds like a lot of politicians on this issue.
The LORD wants consistency, integrity. What does your life reflect?