Everybody has secrets. Some secrets remain hidden for centuries. For example, it wasn’t until 1922 when an archeologist discovered the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen that evidence showed his parents, Akhenaton and Nefertiti had tried to abolish the worship of Egypt’s traditional gods during their reign. When Akhenaton and Nefertiti died, priests removed all records and inscriptions about their attempt. No one was ever to know about their plans and actions to banish the pantheon of gods from Egypt’s belief system. It was thought that knowledge of the godless dynasty would be lost forever. But, the priests forgot to destroy King Tut’s tomb and the evidence it contained. When the tomb was rediscovered, the long buried secret came to light.

There is no doubt that many other historical secrets remain to be uncovered. In the USA, there are over 50 million files classified as “top-secret.” In many cases, these files remain classified to protect people who were informants. Meanwhile, not having the hard facts about these files, some are driven to generate conspiracy theories about those secrets. It would seem that human history, as we know it may be more half-truth than full truth.

However, there is someone who knows all of it – the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And He has secrets too. Proverbs 25, verse 2 in the Message Bible sums it up rather well: “God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.”

Human beings are naturally curious. Physicists have worked entire lifetimes, only to uncover small bits behind the secrets of what makes the Universe work. And, it seems the more that is discovered; the more we find there is to learn. It is humbling to know that in spite of tremendous advances in knowledge, we still know very little about the cosmos. And we may never know – most of the universe is made of what scientists call dark matter and dark energy – which are beyond our resources to measure. It’s quite possible that how it all works may always remain a secret.

Human beings also have areas of “dark matter” within their own personal universe. All of us have done things or thought things that we wouldn’t want anyone else to know about. We even live in denial, often refusing to admit our faults to ourselves. However, while we may be successful in hiding our sins from others, and even from ourselves, no amount of denial can hide them from God. He tells us that he “knows the heart’s secrets.”

However, God holds the secrets of our sins in the most secure and classified of files. He even withholds our records from himself.  In Psalm 103, verse 11-12, he tells us, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

I am reminded of the wonderful words in the famous old hymn, To God be the Glory: “O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer, the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”

This is knowledge that should bring us great comfort. It stands at the heart and core of the gospel and should never remain a secret.