On a visit to New York, an Englishman and a Scotsman go to a pastry shop.  The Englishman whisks three cookies into his pocket with lightning speed. The baker doesn’t notice.

The Englishman says to the Scotsman: “You see how clever we are? You’ll never beat that!”

The Scotsman says to the Englishman: “Watch this, a Scotsman is always cleverer than an Englishman.”

He says to the baker, “Give me a cookie, I can show you a magic trick!”  The baker gives him the cookie which the Scotsman promptly eats.

Then he says to the baker: “Give me another cookie for my magic trick.”  The baker is getting suspicious but he gives it to him. He eats this one too.

Then he says again: “Give me one more cookie…”  The baker is getting angry now but gives him one anyway. The Scotsman eats this one too.

Now the baker is really mad, and he yells: “And where is your famous magic trick?”

The Scotsman says: “Look in the Englishman’s pocket!”

How many of us, like that Englishman, think that we are “clever” enough to get away with doing something wrong with no one finding out?  We hide from our co-workers, we hide from our family members, we sometimes even think we can hide from God.

But God’s Word reminds us that while others around us may never find out, we can’t hide anything from God.  Adam and Eve learned that lesson the hard way (Genesis 3).  So did Achan (Joshua 7).

God said, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.” (Jer. 16:17)

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13).

It may seem frightening that God knows everything we’ve ever done wrong, but it doesn’t need to be.  What God requires of us is not perfection, but honesty.  We must be honest enough to acknowledge what we’ve done.  No hiding, no pretending, no rationalizing.  Just the honesty to admit to God what He already knows.

As Solomon said, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Prov. 28:13)

Make the decision – no more hiding.  If there’s not a clever Scotsman around to reveal your actions, there will someday be an all-knowing God who will!