S129P10 – The signs of the righteous: living in the Lord’s sight
Heb. 4:11-13
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
They were young kids, and they had no money, so they went about pocketing little things here and there from the store. While one of them was paying for a pack of gum or a bottle of water, the others were snagging candy or chocolates on the other side of the store. One kid in the group was extremely uncomfortable with this routine, and he normally waited outside the store until it was over. They eventually pressured him into helping them out, but he froze. He imagined his father walking into the store in that moment and catching him, and he could not stop looking over his shoulder. His dad was nowhere to be found there, but he could not shake the feeling that he could be seen.
There is a sort of detachment that occurs when the children of God tread in the territory of the ungodly. The truth is that the Lord and his presence are with us always, and we are always in his sight. We cannot go anywhere to hide from his view. This detachment is the momentary lack of recognition that his eyes are always on us. How else would we be able to defy him in his presence? Those who walk in righteousness are always conscious of the Lord’s eyes being on them. They want to please him in word and in deed. They do not behave as if they are out of his presence just because they cannot see him. The righteous strive to live a life worthy of being lived in his sight, which is the example Jesus showed us while here.
I often wonder how differently we would live if God were physically present before us at all times. When I was in grade school, and the teacher would leave the room for a moment, the atmosphere changed. We thought we had time to act up or say things we normally could not say in the teacher’s presence. Some still live that way today, thinking that they can pull one over on God just because He is not obviously there. That kind of living shows the inclination of the heart. The hope is that our hearts would be inclined to obey him as if He were visibly present before us always. Father, help us to live transparently and openly in righteousness before You, not desiring to sin in your presence.