“I THINK a great deal of trouble comes from hiding things,” said a little girl, putting down her magazine. “I have just read about that boy in ‘Crooked Paths.’ It was such a pity to hide his naughty doings from his parents.” “What would have been a better way?” asked the little girl’s mother.
“Go and tell,” said Lucy, “I think; go and tell. That takes the load from your mind.”
“It is the Bible way,” said mother.
“I never read it in the Bible,” said Lucy, opening her eyes wide.
“Not in so many words, perhaps,” said her mother. “God says,
‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ Prov. 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13). Confessing is going and telling.”
“Yes,” said Lucy, “that is the way. I am always a great deal happier to come straight and tell you, mother, even if you blame me.”
Cannot a great many other children say the same thing? Then why do others so often try to hide things from their parents? Are they afraid of blame or reproof? That is cowardly. Yet Satan always tempts them to hide the secret. He made Eve tell a lie when she ate the fruit which God had told her not to eat; and he loves to make children follow poor Eve’s foolish example.
God teaches you a better way. He knows you may go astray; He knows you will meet with accidents; He knows you have weak, sinful hearts; but He loves you tenderly, and desires to set you right again as soon as can be; therefore He tells you to confess, because He that confesses and forsakes his sins shall have mercy.
ML 11/26/1933