There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed

Sunday service, Erlo Stegen, 30 Sep 2018

Ps 73:2

2 But as for me, my feet had almost gone from under me; I was near to slipping;
3 Because of my envy of the men of pride, when I saw the well-being of the wrongdoers.
16 When my thoughts were turned to see the reason of this, it was a weariness in my eyes;
17 Till I went into God’s holy place, and saw the end of the evil-doers.

It is dangerous when we remove our eyes from God, and listen to what people say. We need to make sure that we fix our eyes on the Lord. The author of this psalm says that he was almost hurt, and sidetracked, for he took his eyes off God and looked at people. And when he looked at people, the things he saw attracted him, and he became envious of what he saw and desired it and his feet almost slipped. When he looked to the unbelievers, it seemed to him that their portion was better than his. He saw how the unbelievers had an easy life without trouble. However, one thing helped him that he entered into the Holy place of God, and saw their end.

What caused all this? He was envious of the wicked since they could do and speak as they pleased. He found himself on a slippery slope, but he was helped when he entered into the sanctuary of God. There is the danger that we envy the prosperity of the wicked but we don’t see their end.

When we look at the wicked, we may forget our calling because we desire their prosperity. God’s word says we must watch and pray lest we enter into temptation and lose our faith. When we surrender our lives to the Lord He doesn’t take us out of this world, but He prayed that we would be kept in the world. Don’t think when you become a child of the Lord that you will be taken out of the world. It’s then that satan might tempt you the most. When you become a child of God it’s then that satan seeks to destroy you.

A certain woman gave her life to the Lord. Her husband passed away. She really suffered as there was no breadwinner in the house. One day the neighbour, the Induna, came to her because her cattle went into his field. He kept her cattle and gave her a huge fine, which she could never repay. She didn’t know what to do. Then he said to her, if you don’t have the money to pay you can sleep with me and get your cattle. She cried to the Lord what she had to do. Then she went to rev Stegen and asked for advice.

Do you see with what cruel wiles satan comes? That’s why we must watch and pray. It seems like the easy way out is to sin.

You might find yourself in a situation where it’s very difficult to remain faithful and easy to sin.

The Bible often says, be sober minded, and watchful because of satan’s snares. When a person wants to catch fish, he puts bait on the hook and so too with satan. Watch and be careful, satan paints sin in such beautiful colours but in the end it bites worse than a mamba.

Luke 12:2
But nothing is covered up, which will not come to light, or secret, which will not be made clear.

There was a husband and wife near Dundee, who stole a sheep, took it home, and slaughtered it. While they were cooking it the police arrived. The husband was in the field busy burying the insides and skin. The wife took the boiling sheep out of the water and put it on the bed, put a blanket over and sat on it. The police saw the boiling pot, and asked her where the stolen sheep was. She denied any knowledge of the sheep. She said she was not well and that’s why she was in bed. But the boiling sheep started to burn her, so that eventually she was moving around very uncomfortably. The police pulled her off the bed and there they found the stolen sheep.

You may sit on your sin, but the day will come when that sin will burn you, and all will be revealed.

Choirs

German translation

French translation