Latest Devotion
Nothing is Hidden from God
By: John Carrigan
Monday, November 10, 2025
But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23
Once, as two men were hiking in the woods, they came upon a large bear. One of the men whispered; “We need to run!” The other one said, “No, be still. We can’t outrun a bear.” The first man responded, “I don’t need to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”
It’s a made-up story, but it does describe how our world thinks. Our culture encourages everyone to focus on themselves, even at the expense of others. At first, that story may seem funny... But it has a deeper, darker meaning too. If that story were true, it would mean someone chose to outrun the other, hoping the bear would kill the other person (or at least maul them) allowing them to escape.
But God's Word assures us that nothing escapes God’s notice. How we live our lives, and how we treat each other will resonate for eternity. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice coined a famous quote when he wrote, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” We don't know if he was a Christian, but that concept aligns with God's Word, Christian integrity, and Biblical character.
The Bible reminds us in many different places that winning and losing isn't about success or failure. Instead, "finishing well" is about faith and perseverance. In life, there is much more at stake than succeeding by the world's definition. In most cases, it's equally important how we respond to the difficult situations of life. It's safe to say, our entire life is like one big test.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
God allows us to experience times of testing, but it's not because He's curious how we’ll respond. He uses times of testing to reveal truth. Difficult circumstances will reveal truth to us, and it will also reveal things about us to others. These times of testing may be temporarily painful, but the end result is for our good and His glory!
In Genesis 44, God prompted Joseph to put his brothers through a few tests. But Joseph's story was also designed to teach us foundational biblical principles. Joseph's brothers did wrong, but so have we. Like Joseph's brothers, when we acknowledge our sin and repent, God’s grace will restore us so we can finish well!