Psalm 90:8 says that God has “placed” “our secret sins in the light of (His) presence.” One of the things this means is that He purposefully arranges circumstances so that the hidden sins of our hearts have occasion to manifest themselves and be seen, by us and perhaps others, so that we may be confronted with the reality of our sin. If we respond with repentance to His grace, we may then be forgiven of our sins, and enabled to turn from them and change. If not, we will suffer consequences. But whatever our response, God is not content to let our sinful attitudes fester in our hearts. He will arrange for them to come to the surface.

For example: if there is hidden anger in your heart, God will allow an occasion for that anger to show itself, that you may be aware of your need for His grace to change it. If there is selfishness in your heart, He will allow that to come forth, that you may see just how selfish you are, and ask for God’s grace to make you more selfless. Perhaps a recent “outburst” of sin in your life is a manifestation of this very thing? God will place your secret sins in the light of His presence – either to be repented of, or judged. What He will NOT do is allow them to languish in the dark corners of your heart, without being confronted!