My two daughters play together like angels and fight like the devil. One day after one of their fights I asked Raney why were they fighting? She informed me that she and Katherine did not like one another that day.
I asked what she thought God would say to that. She eagerly responded, "I don't know- what would He say- tell me!"
I told her that God gave them to one another and He doesn't like it when we are not kind to each other. God wants them to be friends and to be sweet with one another and that it hurts his Heart when we hurt one another.
To which Raney angrily replied, "Ahhgg, Stop telling God stuff! Don't tell Him what I am doing!"
I hated to inform her that God was already quite aware of what was going on in our house....
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:29-32
Sometimes we feel the same way. We hope that God doesn’t really ‘see’ what we are doing. And yet, most of us know that God sees our hearts and knows the thoughts we are thinking though we do not speak or act on them. He knows us. That realization is comforting and rather frightening at the same time.
My son Parker is learning to confess his sins, he is relying much on the fact that God knows everything about him. He thinks that he shouldn’t have to tell God since he cannot remember all of the sin and God is all knowing anyway. Parker is also trying to work a deal with me that once a week should about cover it, that way he can store up the sins before confessing them. However, we all need to come face to face with our sins, calling them by name so we understand the depravity of our sinful nature and how it grieves God when we choose to sin.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John 1:8-10
Yes, God knows when we sin. But, He desires us to know as well. As I told Parker, maybe the more he confessed his sins to God and asked for forgiveness, the more he (Parker) would understand what actions grieve God. The same is true for us as well.
We all need to realize the things in our lives that come between us and God, we need to confess, and then we need to repent- turning back to God and His desires for us…. because we love God too much to keep doing what we were doing.
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Corinthians 7:1
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