—-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.

The Bible is very clear and blunt about our obligations. God expects us to know what He expects. But, have you noticed, not everyone appreciates that fact. Most people feel their worries are justified. Tell them,”Don’t worry” and they feel like punching you in the nose. Yet, that’s exactly what God does—He forbids us to fret! So, when we worry we violate God’s command, we make ourselves miserable and we lose our ability to make wise decisions.

Over a century ago, a preacher by the name of Darlow Sargeant put it like this:

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.–Colossians 3:1-2

Most people just don’t get it. They hear the truth and they know what good sound reasoning would say, but they simply don’t do it. Instead of putting it into practice they keep making the same foolish mistakes over and over again.We know better than we do. Man’s lack of wisdom is obvious.

So, here is another warning, given many years ago, from the pen of J.C. Ryle:

“Oh, that men and women would learn to live with the awareness that one day they are going to die! Truly, it is waste of time to set our hearts on a dying world and its short-lived comforts and pleasures; and for the sake of momentary pleasures–to lose a glorious eternity in Heaven! Here we are striving, laboring, exhausting ourselves about little things, and running here and there like ants on an anthill! And yet after a few years, we will all be gone–and another generation will take our place. Let us live for eternity! Let us seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness that can never be taken from us!”

Here’s two things that could occupy our minds forever–God’s mercy is marvellous and His grace is great. I like the way one writer describes them:” Some things in life come in pairs: socks, pant legs, gloves, a bird’s wings, scissors’ blades, and a coin’s sides. Mercy and grace are in that same category. Mercy is not receiving a negative outcome we deserve, while grace is receiving a positive outcome we don’t deserve. Every negative outcome averted is itself a positive outcome; and every positive outcome is a negative outcome averted. If God was a coin, grace and mercy would be His two sides.

Mercy spares us from hell while grace delivers us to heaven. The nation of Israel had been shown mercy many times until God finally sent them into captivity. But then, after 70 years, grace intervened and a remnant of Israel returned to the homeland, the Holy Land. Just as grace gave Israel a place in the temple’s Holy Place, so grace gives us a place in God’s Holy City, the New Jerusalem. Mercy prevents, and grace provides–the two sides of God’s love.

Thank God today for His mercy and grace–the hell you have avoided and the heaven you have attained.”(Turning Point)

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.
John Newton