How do you feel if you know that someone is watching you? It might depend on whether the one watching you is looking out for your welfare, or if they are up to no good, against you, or looking to bring you harm. Children or the elderly need someone to look out for them, but we don’t want people looking at us with evil intent. There is Someone who is watching us, as our psalm today indicates. As we read through the verses, we’ll see how, in this case, it is not a bad thing.
As our Scripture opens we read that the Lord is looking down from heaven, observing all of mankind (vs. 13-14). God knows all things. He is omniscient. No action, person, or situation from the past, present, or into the future, is hidden from Him. For those who are intent on doing evil, the knowledge that God is watching and seeing what they do can be disturbing, even angering or inducing fear. However, for those who are His children, knowing that their Heavenly Father is watching over them should bring peace and joy.
There are times when a believer might not feel that the Lord is looking after them, particularly if they are going through a difficult time. We hear them cry out, “Where is God?” when the crisis happens. Yet we know, if we read and study the Bible, that God has promised to all believers that He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). When Jesus left His disciples to return to heaven, He promised the believers that He is always with them (Matthew 28:20). As Jesus has promised again, He numbers the very hairs on our head, and notes even when a sparrow falls from the sky (Luke 12:6-7). If He cares so much about such details, we can be assured that He cares for us.
As the psalmist said in verse 18, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him. Fear here is not being afraid, such as when a criminal is upon us, ready to harm us. When the Bible speaks of “fearing the Lord”, it is speaking about having a reverential respect, honor, and obedience shown to Him. God will have His eye of mercy and love on those who show Him that respect. He promises to deliver such a one in their time of need (vs. 19).
On the other hand, for those whose lives are filled with sin and evil intent, knowing that God is watching them should fill them with fear. They may think that they are getting away with what they are doing, but they aren’t. God doesn’t just watch over His children, the believers in His Son, Jesus, He is also looking over all the inhabitants of the earth. No one can hide from Him, no matter where they may try to go. He sees all, from the people living on the mountaintops, to the scientists or sailors down in the submarines. He sees the astronauts in the space stations in outer space. We can’t hide from Him! King David tells us that in more detail in Psalm 139.
Knowing that God cares so much about us, and that He is always watching over us, we should have full trust in Him no matter what circumstances may come upon us. The author of this psalm may have lived in a time when there was a threat of some foreign power coming to attack the country. With the possibility of an invading army it would be natural to fear. The king would be considering whether his army was strong enough to defeat, or at least hold their own against the enemy (vs. 16). He may have been out in the army camps counting how many war horses he had. In ancient times a war horse was a formidable and fear-inducing type of warfare (vs. 17). Not every army or nation was so equipped. Some nations may only have had a few, or perhaps none, and only foot soldiers. But a foot soldier didn’t stand much of a chance against an armed soldier on horseback.
The psalmist, though, instructs not to worry about an army to protect us, as that should not be the source of our hope. Our hope should rest solely on the Lord. He alone is our help and our shield (vs. 20). The Lord is our only sure protection.
Sometimes we may feel abandoned and alone in our struggles. But we can know that God is, in fact, watching over us all the time. Even though we can’t see Him, He is there. Like a loving parent, His eye and His heart are constantly on us, wherever we go.
No comments:
Post a Comment