MORNING MANNA 8-13-23
CAUGHT ON CAMERA
“—-all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”- Hebrews 4:13
I smiled as I read the account of Pastor Stephen Davey receiving a ticket along with a photo of him running a red light. There was no denying his guilt–his personalized plate was clear as a bell. But my smile melted away as I read the application he made regading the experience. He said:
Frankly, I was embarrassed by the whole thing. I had broken the law and someone else had seen me do it. It wasn’t a very good feeling—especially for a shepherd.
But that got me thinking: what if we were to go to our mailbox tomorrow and find a surprise letter filled with snapshots of all the things we had done the day before, including facial expressions and captions of the words we had spoken. I wonder how many of the photographs would bring us embarrassment or chagrin.
The Apostle Paul encourages us not to “grieve the Holy Spirit, by whom we have been sealed for the day of redemption.”
The truth is, wherever we go we take God’s Spirit with us. Whatever we say in private, He hears. Whatever thoughts we think that no one else can see, He sees. I imagine we must grieve Him often.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the motivation to stop sinning because we see our sin caught on camera. Frankly, there aren’t cameras powerful enough to capture the gossip, pride, and rebellion that can escape our lips and occupy our hearts every day. But God sees it all . . . and it grieves His heart.
So, let’s start today by praying that God will open our eyes to see what He sees and give our hearts a sensitivity to even the smallest transgression that might otherwise slip by unnoticed.
Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to pretend there’s a camera following us . . . or should I say dwelling inside us!
As you begin or end this day in God’s Word, pray for God to give you an awareness of His abiding presence with you. Then pray as the Psalmist often prayed for God to give you clean hands and a pure heart.
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E.
Humble, TX. 77346
