For years I’ve heard of drug-sniffing dogs and bomb-sniffing dogs. Recently I read about DVD-sniffing dogs.  Lucky and Flo are specially trained to detect CDs and DVDs. These sniffing Labradors alert police in England to large stashes of pirated movies that are being smuggled into England.

Recently, when returning to the United States from ministry in Greece, a sniffing beagle hound was working the baggage claim area at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Wearing a sweater vest with the words, “Protecting America’s Agriculture,” this trained hound was sniffing the bags of travelers who were entering the United States from Europe.

While I was waiting for my luggage at the carousel, this beagle began sniffing carry-on luggage belonging to a couple standing nearby. The officer asked, “Do you perchance have an apple in this corner of your bag?” as she pointed to the place where the dog was sniffing.  Sure enough – there was an apple! 

About ten minutes later – I’m still waiting for my luggage – the dog was back. This time the dog’s nose picked up a scent in a bag belonging to a young man standing next to me. Evidently, the trained officer can tell what kind of agriculture product is being smelled, because she asked the young man, “Do you have any meat in your travel case which might be in an unsealed bag?”  Sure enough – a small bag of partially eaten beef jerky appeared.  These sniffing dogs are good – real good!  If there’s something in a box or piece of luggage for which the dog is trained to sniff, the dog will find it.

As my luggage arrived and I cleared customs, I got to thinking, “If there’s sin in my life, the Spirit will find it and reveal it – if I don’t choose to confess it.”

Ask Achan (Joshua 7) or Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)!  They learned the hard way – God doesn’t appreciate it when we hide our sin.

The wise king, Solomon, once wrote, “You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them” (Proverbs 28:13, The Message).

God knows everything about us – He knows our actions and our thoughts.  He sees what we do when no one else sees.  When we do something we should not do – or say something we should not say – or think thoughts we should not be thinking – the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin.  At that moment we have a choice – conceal or confess, conceal or confess, conceal or confess. . .

The best choice is to confess and renounce our sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

If we choose to conceal, the Spirit will reveal!  But when we choose to confess, we will be blessed!

Let’s remember – God is for us!  He wants us to finish strong!  And we can through the strength of the Lord and the power of His Word!