The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3
This verse is one of the most probing in all of scripture. We frequently speak of how God sees and knows all, but how often do we truly think about it? Right now, at this very moment, as you're reading this blog post, the Lord God Almighty knows what you're doing and what you're thinking about. When truly grasped, this is a thought that will, as Vance Havner used to say "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
There is a two-sided lesson to be learned from this verse. The first is a word of caution. The Lord beholds the evil. When we do something we shouldn't, He knows. When we don't do something we should, He knows. When we have a wicked thought or intention, He knows. He sees it all.
A child may do something wrong and not get punished for it because his parents aren't aware of what happens, but that doesn't happen with God. I remember once trying to teach this concept to a class of six, seven, and eight-year-olds, and having a little girl proudly announce to me, "I did that yesterday!" The fact of the matter is, although she avoided punishment from her parents because they didn't know what she had done, God still knew.
We can't hide from God, no matter how hard we may try, or what lengths we may go to. We need look no further than the Book of Jonah to learn this. Jonah was willing to run to the opposite side of the world to escape God, but to no avail. If Jesus Christ were standing next to you, would you do the things you do? If all of your thoughts were vocalized to Him, would you think the things you think? If not, understand that He is standing next to you, and all of your thoughts are vocalized to Him. He is ever present, and knows all.
The word of caution in our verse for the day is very sharp, but there is also a satisfying comfort in it. The Lord beholds the good. Every time we do a good deed, He knows. It may be that no other human being on the face of the planet knows, but God does. When our service goes ignored by our fellow man, it doesn't go unnoticed by the Saviour. When we steal away to our quiet place for a private time of worship and reflection, God knows.
I know what it is like to be discouraged. In the last 16 months, I have personally faced more discouragement than I did in the first 30 years and some months of my life combined. I know what it is like to feel the temptation to quit, and to wonder if service is worthwhile. At the times I have felt the lowest, and that I was the closest to giving up, the Holy Spirit has reminded me that He knows about all of it. He knows about the suffering, but that He is still present. It is in times like those that the knowledge that God sees all is the most comforting.
God doesn't always pay off on Friday night, but He will always pay off, and He will be a debtor to no man. One day, we all as Christians will stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for our service. On that day, our the evil and the good -- our successes and our failures -- will all be brought to life. I fully believe that it is God's desire to there reward us for faithful service, but in order for Him to do that, we must provide Him something to reward.
Dear Christian, if this thought brings grief to your heart because you know that what God observes in your life is not want He desires to see, all hope isn't lost. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and is more than willing to forgive all if we bring it to Him and confess. If, on the other hand, you feel overlooked and hopeless, feeling that your service to God is in vain, I pray that this will be an encouragement to you. You are not unnoticed, and you are not unappreciated. Continue with God, and He will one day make it worth your while in a manner far better than anything you can possibly imagine.
This verse is one of the most probing in all of scripture. We frequently speak of how God sees and knows all, but how often do we truly think about it? Right now, at this very moment, as you're reading this blog post, the Lord God Almighty knows what you're doing and what you're thinking about. When truly grasped, this is a thought that will, as Vance Havner used to say "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
There is a two-sided lesson to be learned from this verse. The first is a word of caution. The Lord beholds the evil. When we do something we shouldn't, He knows. When we don't do something we should, He knows. When we have a wicked thought or intention, He knows. He sees it all.
A child may do something wrong and not get punished for it because his parents aren't aware of what happens, but that doesn't happen with God. I remember once trying to teach this concept to a class of six, seven, and eight-year-olds, and having a little girl proudly announce to me, "I did that yesterday!" The fact of the matter is, although she avoided punishment from her parents because they didn't know what she had done, God still knew.
We can't hide from God, no matter how hard we may try, or what lengths we may go to. We need look no further than the Book of Jonah to learn this. Jonah was willing to run to the opposite side of the world to escape God, but to no avail. If Jesus Christ were standing next to you, would you do the things you do? If all of your thoughts were vocalized to Him, would you think the things you think? If not, understand that He is standing next to you, and all of your thoughts are vocalized to Him. He is ever present, and knows all.
The word of caution in our verse for the day is very sharp, but there is also a satisfying comfort in it. The Lord beholds the good. Every time we do a good deed, He knows. It may be that no other human being on the face of the planet knows, but God does. When our service goes ignored by our fellow man, it doesn't go unnoticed by the Saviour. When we steal away to our quiet place for a private time of worship and reflection, God knows.
I know what it is like to be discouraged. In the last 16 months, I have personally faced more discouragement than I did in the first 30 years and some months of my life combined. I know what it is like to feel the temptation to quit, and to wonder if service is worthwhile. At the times I have felt the lowest, and that I was the closest to giving up, the Holy Spirit has reminded me that He knows about all of it. He knows about the suffering, but that He is still present. It is in times like those that the knowledge that God sees all is the most comforting.
God doesn't always pay off on Friday night, but He will always pay off, and He will be a debtor to no man. One day, we all as Christians will stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for our service. On that day, our the evil and the good -- our successes and our failures -- will all be brought to life. I fully believe that it is God's desire to there reward us for faithful service, but in order for Him to do that, we must provide Him something to reward.
Dear Christian, if this thought brings grief to your heart because you know that what God observes in your life is not want He desires to see, all hope isn't lost. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and is more than willing to forgive all if we bring it to Him and confess. If, on the other hand, you feel overlooked and hopeless, feeling that your service to God is in vain, I pray that this will be an encouragement to you. You are not unnoticed, and you are not unappreciated. Continue with God, and He will one day make it worth your while in a manner far better than anything you can possibly imagine.
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