The Eyes of the Lord

"Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the LORD " Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3) What a terrible and yet peaceful piece of knowledge that the God of heaven is watching. Yes, terrible for those who do evil but a great comfort for those who live righteously.

The evil heart should tremble at such knowledge. A knowledge that should bring their hearts to their knees and their mouths to confess unrighteousness and their weight of sin be forgiven. Yet, such acknowledgement to the majesty of God Almighty we rarely see today. The evil go about their day with no acknowledgement, no thought, nor no fear of the King of hosts. Their hearts are hardened by sin, they are held captive, they refuse to turn to God (Psalm 14:2; 36:1).

The righteous are not so. Great peace have they which trust in the Lord their God (Psalm 119:165). They look to heaven for strength, they know that God is watching and his gaze is one of care and comfort.

Each day, every day we are given a choice. We have free will to choose to walk in the righteousness of God and find peace or to choose to walk as we want to and go the way of the world, the way of unrighteousness. That choice is ours alone.

May we examine our hearts, may we look well to our ways, and may we turn our hearts to the God who sees all and follow him.

The greatest joy that I’ve ever known was when on bended knee I confessed and forsook the sin that held me captive. It is in brokenness that we learn of God, know ourselves, find peace, and the sweetest joy.

‘Heavenly Father, may you turn our hearts to you. May we repent and thereby have a pure heart; a heart to see you and wonder at your majesty, your glory, your righteousness, and your faithfulness to forgive!

Feeding the Birds

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” Matthew 6:26 (New Living Translation)

This morning, I look outside my window and see birds enjoying the small bird feeder we’ve supplied them. They chirp to one another, hop around, and then fly off. In many regards the birds are like us. They are hungry, they care for their nest, and they either hop on the ground or soar high above.

Often, we are restless, wanting what we do not know, hungry for something more. We think, ‘there must be something more to life’ – there must be something that fulfills. We fly here and there searching when the answer is so very near…

Sure, we care about our loved ones, the security of our homes, the economy, the whirling winds of change developing all around us. We see the dark clouds amassing and we hide in preparation of the coming storm.
Like the birds we can sense that dramatic change is near and like them we fear. And yet, we have hope. Hope not in ourselves or in supplied bird feeders or in government hand outs. Our hope is in our Heavenly Father who considers us a treasure. We are worth more than the worlds or eternity or hope itself. God loves you so much that he gave his son Jesus for you.

Yes, we are hungry. Hungry for something more than what this earth can provide. We need, we want, a daily relationship with a living God, a God of majestic power and glory, a God who loves us and cares for us like he cares for the birds; and yet so much more.

Keep Seeking the Thing Above

I'm not sure about you but here lately I hear a voice whispering in my heart to 'come up higher'. A voice tied to scripture that proclaims, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1).

What does that mean? Is that high mindedness? A thought or belief that I'm superior to others? No, hardly! Rather, it’s a heart and mind that looks heaven-ward to such things as service, mercy, prayer, and joy. Attributes that are not base… see Col. 3:8 or based on self but on the needs of others.

For if you want joy then give joy to someone else. If you need encouragement then try encouraging someone else. Yes, it’s not easy but sometimes we must grab the horns of our rotten nature and drag it to the altar and present it to our High Priest, Christ our King. Sometimes, you just have to do that which feels unpleasant, isn’t fun, hurts a lot, and is out of character for how you’ve been acting for some time. You and I have a choice, we can stay in a rut or through Christ’s grace and some tears we can believe His promises, give ourselves a good swift-kick and begin changing our attitude.

For you know… you can make a change if you want to. God’s not going to force character change down your throat… He will help you but you need to ask. All God is asking from you or me is to believe him enough to get off our duffs and take the first step… often God will be there to hold your hand on the second, third, and so on steps.

So, can you trust Christ enough to look up… look up and at his Word and then look around and see the great need… and then go meet that need. If you were sad or depressed or worried you soon won’t be for your heart will sing of joy, God’s praises will adorn your lips as your give… as you serve… and as you care for the needs of others instead of dwelling on your own.

I will never leave nor forsake you

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

If you are like me there are some scriptures that seem to stick to the sinews of your heart. You may not know where exactly these scriptures are in the Bible but you’ve read them or heard them and they seem to stay with you. Over time you may forget about your planted scripture as the cares of this life and the daily grind seem to grind away your zest for life, your moments of quiet reflection, and your passion for God.

Yet, God knows you, loves you, and is watching out for you for He planted that seed of truth in your heart until the right time. Those times come like gloomy clouds that turn a sunny day to one that is overcast, bleak, and depressing. The right food, our dear friends, and so many kind words can not amend the overwhelming sadness that takes our emotions during such times. We feel alone, we sense an emptiness, and when we look around we find that we are truly and physically alone. A floodgate is open that is filled with fear, with doubt, with regrets, and with self loathing. A veil of depression colors our thoughts, our actions, and our days… God, seems so distant.

Yet, as we look up we see a streak of truth break through our shadowed hearts and hear a whisper, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!” And again, “come to me… and I will give you rest”. Our hearts tremble, for fear… and for joy at the hope that Christ gives us.

Let that hope live in you deeply. Let the love of Christ take over, envelope you, and create in you mercy, compassion, and the deepest abiding joy. A joy that reaches beyond mere emotions-a joy eternal-an abiding peace that keeps you listening to the Word of God He plants in your hearts.