“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”
Hebrews 4:13
As someone once said, “You can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time—but you can never fool God any of the time.”
“Nothing hidden.”
That’s really what’s meant in today’s Manna when the anonymous author said “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.” He knew God’s omniscient eyes always know where we are and what we’ve done, even as they did Adam and Eve that day (Gen. 3:9). He didn’t ask “Adam, where are you?” for His benefit; He simply wanted to see if Adam knew where he was (in what spiritual condition) and the implications of his sinful disobedience.
In some ways our knowing “neither is there any creature that is not manifest (Grk. ‘aphanes’—‘obvious, exposed, apparent, shining, etc.’) in His sight” is unnerving. This is especially so when we couple it with v.12 where we read He is “a Discerner of the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart.”
Think of it:
Our “Thought Life”—what we focus on. . .our inward lustful thoughts. . .those dreams and aspirations. . .fantasies, etc. . .all “naked and opened (Grk. ‘trachelizo’—‘to seize by the throat or neck, expose the gullet of a victim for sacrifice, to lay bare, etc.’) unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.” Those thoughts/feelings of bitterness, unforgiveness, vindictiveness and revenge, etc. All known to Him.
Our “Inward Desires”—what we really long/lust after. . .why we do what we do. . .if we’re double-minded or deceitful, etc. He knows if we sing like an angel on Sunday, but act like the devil on Monday-Saturday. Again, “nothing is hidden from His all-seeing Eye” (Acts 26:26; I Cor. 4:5; II Cor. 4:2).
Therefore, we should ask the Holy Spirit to help us live lives that are transparent to God and others. This doesn’t mean we should let others know everything we do and say—for only a fool does that (Prov. 13:16; 17:28; 29:11). However, it does mean that we should daily strive to be someone “in whom there is no guile—i.e., no deceit” (Jn. 1:47). Our “yea should be yea and our nay should be nay” (James 5:12), for everything else springs from a heart of deceit and duplicity.
Dear Pilgrim, when Jesus said “Everyone will give an accounting of every idle (Grk. ‘argos’—‘lazy, useless, worthless, etc.’) word on the Day of Judgment” (Mt. 12:36) and “There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed” (Mt. 10:26), He was reminding us of our need to be truthful both inwardly and outwardly.
Why not ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and mind today and to reveal if there are any sinful thoughts or sinister desires (Ps. 139:23-24)? Then, allow Him to use His “Scalpel of the Soul” (Heb. 4:12) to convict and correct, which helps us be further transformed into His Image.
By Tom Smith Morning Manna Dated January 22, 2011
