He sees ... straight into my heart

He sees… straight into my heart

When I was a teenager and my mother was challenging something I had done, I did what kids do – argue and offer up the usual excuses to avoid dealing with the truth. Mom’s signature line, one that always got to me was,  “Well, son, God knows you heart. You can fool me but you can never fool Him.”  Back then, I mostly thought of His piercing vision in a threatening way.  It has become a deeply comforting thing to me these days. When I am misunderstood, when I try to do good and things go wrong, I remember that He sees, He knows, and He will reveal it all at the Judgment Seat.  Confessing that keeps me honest with myself, too.  I realize that a thin veneer of ‘holy talk’ is no substitute for an authentic spirituality.

God sent Jeremiah down to the newly renovated Temple in Jerusalem with a message of correction.  The people thought they could do whatever they wanted to do and avoid His judgment as long as they showed up to go through the rituals of worship.  When told that God would destroy the nation, they insisted He would not.  “His Temple is here and He would never allow that holy place to be ruined,” they thought. But, they reasoned wrongly.  Take a look at the pointed sermon: “Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.”… (you) stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—… But I have been watching! declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:2-11, NIV)

God is watching. Does that comfort you or make you shudder?  He sees past the songs you sing and the prayers you say in church.  Is that reason for joy or dread?

The grace of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus, is deep and wide. His grace is greater than our sin.  In immaturity some confuse this message, believing that there is no need to deal with sinful decisions, no need to practice the disciplines that lead to holiness.  “I go to church. I’m baptized. I take Communion. I tithe.”  And somehow they come to believe that greed, lust, pride, hate, discrimination, or selfishness can go on unchecked in their lives.  The Word pointedly addresses this with this insightful question: "So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving?" (Romans 6:1, The Message)  No! For we have died with Christ so how can we go on living in sin?  It’s time for new life aligned with Him.

“ I have been watching! declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 7:11, NIV)  Remember that. Thank Him that He knows you better than you know yourself. Let Him lead you to discipleship that is without hypocrisy, that is remains steadfast even when misjudged, that serves just as eagerly when nobody’s watching as it does when the spotlight is shining on you. Indeed, He is “The God Who Sees.”

" For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”" (1 Peter 3:11-12, NIV)

____________

Watching Over You

When your waving

Your hands up in the air.

When your shouting,

No matter when or where,

God's seeing everything you do,

'Cause He's watching, watching over you!

God is watching, watching over you

24/7,  watching over you

Your life is in His hands, whoa!

He's got great big plans

'Cause He's watching over you!

Jay Stocker

© 2012 Group Publishing, Inc.

CCLI License # 810055