Watched

Every Monday we’ll post something to do with personal purity. Hope it helps.

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Watched

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. – Hebrews 4:13

Ezekiel makes a brief and chillingly prophetic observation about God’s people looking secretly at forbidden imagery when he recounts the Lord saying to him:

“Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not —” (Ezekiel 8:12)”

Even then, men who were believers privately gorged on unclean visuals, telling themselves against all logic and experience that what they did went unnoticed. Many still do, which is too bad, because one of the most effective tools I know for keeping it clean is an ongoing awareness of God’s eye.

Thanks goodness God is not like DeNiro’s character. That said, God does look upon us with love and concern.

Now, that can taken as a threat, I know. (Images of Robert DeNiro pointing at his eyes, then extending his index finger at Ben Stiller while mouthing the words “I’m watching you” come to mind.) But it can also be a loving wake-up call, reminding us that today, we’re being watched, and the Watcher feels something in response to what He sees.

Anyone wanting to walk in the light needs to keep the mind focused on this simple truth; we’re watched. With love, sure, and watched protectively, affectionately, constantly. But to be observed by God is also to be responded to by Him with approval or disapproval; joy or regret. I am, of course, seen in Christ, a justified joint-heir whose position is secure and who therefore needn’t tremble in His Father’s presence. But that doesn’t mean my Father’s indifferent to what He sees today, both in my actions, words and thoughts. If I lust, fantasizes, or let my eyes go where they shouldn’t, He sees. And He feels something when He sees it.

I’m reminded of the only time to my knowledge God Himself bragged about one of His own (apart from Jesus, of whom He said He was well pleased) When encountering Satan He brought up Job, a man walking with high integrity and of whom God was saying, in essence, “Look at this guy!” Note the wording:

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”  (Job 1:8)

I see that divine pride of ownership in His query to the devil, then I ask myself if it would make any sense at all for God to say to Satan,

“Have you observed my servant Joe? Check him out, follow him today, see how he handles stress, challenges, temptations. Watch how he obeys Me when it gets rough, I dare ya!”

I had a hard time reading that, knowing that, in all probability, I’d be an embarrassment. But maybe you can do better. Put your own name in there, imagine God bragging on you today, and see how logical it sounds.

How’d you do? If God naming you to the adversary as an example of faithfulness seemed feasible, more power to you. If not, let’s you and I try remembering a couple facts today that will, hopefully, spur us to more consistency, inwardly and outwardly.

First, we are seen. Not spied on or scrutinized for criticism, but observed nonetheless. Theologically and in fact logically that’s a no-brainer, but I find that the belief that I am watched over by a loving Father is useful only when I stay attuned to that belief. Walking in the light is largely a mental process, engaging our minds in the ongoing discipline of remembering His presence, and His vision. That alone – the awareness that He sees – sobers me up, and keeps my spiritual edge more vibrant.

Second, we are responded to. That is to say, He’s surely not a assessing our lives without emotional response. I remember Jesus saying to different churches in The Revelation, “I see your works, some of them good, some not.” And certainly, as deeply as He loves and as good a shepherd as He is, our thoughts, words and actions today will affect Him, either with grief or joy; indignation or approval.

So today, Lord, we need Your Spirit to remind us we cannot live in a vacuum. We’re watched over, observed, cared for, guided, protected and fashioned at Your pleasure. We don’t ask today for You to watch, as we know that’s a given. But we do ask You to graciously remind us we’re watched, responded to, and a source of joy or pain to You. Let it be joy, we pray, and let us become followers of whom You could logically say,

‘Have you beheld my servant —?”