Psalm 90:8

"Our iniquities, our secret heart and its sins [which we would so like to conceal even from ourselves], You have set in the [revealing] light of Your countenance." (Psalm 90:8 AMP) "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." (Psalm 90:8 KJV) What do you think the greatest fear of all people is? Fear of heights? Fear of death? Fear of water? Fear of spiders? No, the greatest fear of the majority of people is being found out. Being revealed as they really are and not as they pretend to be. Think about it, do you want to be known for your failures or your victories? Now think about this concept within the church. Do you think people in the church should carry the same fear? Being afraid that someday they will be found out for who they really are. I don't believe we should have a negative view of ourselves, always putting ourselves down because of our failures. I believe we should embrace our failures and mistakes and learn and grow from them.  Everyone has their own dark secrets, their skeletons in the closet. For most of us, life becomes a challenge to maintain the image we have created for ourselves. Men tend to overcompensate for being vulnerable or emotional by acting extra tough or macho. They try to show how angry they can become over issues that really don't matter as a way of hiding their wounds or insecurities. Women with father issues tend to run towards other men and engage in unhealthy relationships to try and mask their hurt inside. People like this believe that if they can divert everyone's attention from the real issue, including their own attention, the issue will one day disappear. This delusion leads to more baggage and hurt. A deeper scar is being formed every time they push the medicine away.  Again, I am not advocating we begin to detail our troubled past to everyone we meet. That's just as unhealthy as pretending there isn't an issue. What I do suggest is that we be honest with ourselves and find help and healing for our wounds. I don't believe Psalm 90:8 is saying that God holds our sins as a constant reminder of how bad we are and I don't believe He holds them over our heads to keep us stuck in condemnation. The enemy is the one that holds us under the water of condemnation trying to drown us in our own despair. I believe God views our sin and our "dark secrets" and says "it's okay, I know the real you and I want to provide you with healing for these wounds." We can believe the most obscure details of who God is and still forget the simplest concept of His willingness to provide our healing. I'll encourage you to take an inventory of your closet, your past, your fears. Sit down with Jesus and allow Him to heal you. Allow Him to reveal the wounds and secrets that you have buried and forgotten and accept His healing in these areas of your life.  Finally, brothers and sisters, may the peace, healing, and wholeness of our Lord Jesus rest upon your lives. May you prosper and live in freedom.