“You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” (2 Sam. 12:12)
Expanded Passage: 2 Samuel 12:11-14
A few weeks ago, our family went hiking and our adventures took us into a giant cave in southern Indiana. We came prepared with flashlights, headlamps, and clothes that could withstand the mud, and even though we had been in similar caves before, the darkness took me by surprise. The lack of light had an oppressiveness about it, the way it seemed to close in on us the longer we were there. Our boys loved exploring the cave. But me? I was eager to get back out into the light.
Shameful secrets can hold great power over us. Like being stuck in a cave in utter darkness, secrets tend to press in. They hold us captive. For David, his string of hurtful, harm-filled choices left him in the shadows, and the consequences were severe for him, for his family, and for his people. But God was not content to leave him shrouded in secrets or stuck in darkness. Rather, God brought David back out into the light.
Stepping into the light after periods of darkness can come as a shock. The change is jarring. Our eyes need time to adjust. While the initial transition may not be comfortable or even wanted, we can trust that goodness is always waiting when God invites us to reveal our secrets and step back into the light.
Reflect on a time when telling a secret released you from shame.
Sarah E. Westfall is an author and speaker who currently resides in northeast Indiana with her husband Ben and their four boys; she is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
