Weekly Overview:

　　We live in the reality that there is both light and darkness around us at all times. This world has both good and evil, right and wrong. As believers we must grow in both our acceptance of this reality and our pursuit of the light. We must allow God to mold and shape us into those who rid ourselves of any darkness, become fully known to God, and allow his light to transform us into reflections of his Son. May the Lord open our eyes to see the glorious light before us this week.

　　Scripture:“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”Luke 8:17

　　Devotional:

　　To live in secrecy before God, man, and yourself is to live in darkness. We are made to be fully known. We are made to be open and vulnerable. It’s only in the place of living fully known that we can truly receive the depths of God’s love for us. It’s only in being fully known that we discover who we really are and the immensity of our need for God.

　　Our culture values perception above reality. We work tirelessly to create an image of perfection in the minds of others that requires a constant covering-up of who we truly are. We work to build up a facade, a false outer shell, in attempts to keep in darkness that which we fear will cause rejection. But the greater our facade the less we are truly loved. When someone loves an image we’ve created that we know isn’t truly us, we can’t receive that love. When someone compliments the image of perfection we’ve worked to create, we are all the time thinking, “If you only knew who I really was, you wouldn’t be saying those things.” To be fully loved is to be fully known.

　　The sobering truth of Scripture is that God already knows the secrets of our heart and will one day bring them out into the light whether we desire it or not. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”God knows the importance of everything being brought to the light. His chief desire is full relationship with us, and he knows full relationship only occurs without secrets.

　　While God knows the secrets of our heart already, we will not receive the fullness of his love here on earth until we willingly open them up to him. God patiently waits for us to make ourselves fully known to him, all the while beckoning us with his loving-kindness. He declares his good nature to us through Scripture, circumstances, and his Spirit, knocking on the door of our hearts that we might let him in to love us, heal us, and set us free.

　　Take time today to open your life to God, and with his help, tear down whatever facade you’ve built up. Engage in the process of living fully known by offering up the parts of your heart you’ve never wanted to bring to the light. Tell him of your secrets. Make some space to reflect on your life. What do you work tirelessly to keep in the dark? What thoughts, motives, or wounds do you constantly try and hide? Trust that your God is a good Father. He already knows the secrets of your life. He will not reject you. He is not disgusted with or ashamed of you. He simply wants to fully love you. May you experience the love of your heavenly Father to greater measures today as you seek to live fully known.

　　Guided Prayer:

　　1. Meditate on the importance of being fully known.Take time to reflect on your life and what living with a facade does to your heart. Think about the wonders of being both fully known and fully loved.

　　“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”Luke 8:17

　　“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”Hebrews 4:13

　　2. What secrets, wounds, motives, or thoughts are in darkness?What do you work tirelessly to conceal from others? What are you even working to hide from yourself?

　　3. Tell God about what you’ve hidden in darkness.Journal, pray, or reflect with him about that which you’ve tried to hide. Open up to him and ask him how he feels about you. Ask him how he feels about what you’ve kept hidden. Take time and simply let him love and enjoy you.

　　“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans 8:37-39

　　There is something so powerful about simply being enjoyed by God. When we find that he delights in us, everything changes. In the fifth century, St. Augustine said, “Quia amasti me, fecisti me amabilem,” which means, “In loving me, you made me lovable.” To experience the love of God is to learn that apart from anything we could ever do, we are lovable. You are lovable just as you are, and you can never become unlovable. The God who alone sees every part of you and who alone is true loves you just as you are. May you find security, joy, and peace in the relentless love of your heavenly Father.

　　Extended Reading:Psalm 36