🕊I never fully understood how dangerous deceit could become until I read the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. 🤍 They sold a possession and secretly kept back part of the price, yet presented themselves as though they had given the whole. And Peter said unto Ananias, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?” — Acts 5:3. What convicted me was this: the issue was not simply what they kept back. It was that they wanted the appearance of complete obedience while secretly walking in deception. And how often does deceit begin this way? Not always with some great lie, but with a little thing hidden here, a truth twisted there, a story changed so we may appear innocent before people. But Scripture reminds us that what is concealed from man is never concealed from God. “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” — Luke 12:2. Be careful of the heart that becomes comfortable hiding what God has already convicted you about. Be careful when lying becomes easier than confessing, when manipulation becomes easier than repentance, and when protecting an image becomes more important than protecting your heart. You may deceive the eyes of man, but you cannot deceive the One who searches the heart. Lord, create in us clean hearts. Let truth dwell within us even when honesty costs us something. Strip away every desire to manipulate, conceal, or pretend. For it is better to stand before man with an uncomfortable truth than to stand before God carrying a comfortable lie. What is done in darkness may remain hidden for a season, but nothing remains hidden from the Lord. 🤍