Lesson 277: "Someone is Watching"
Job asked God; “am I a sea, or the monster of the deep that you put me under guard” (Job 7:12)? Job was in great pain from the torments of the devil and he was complaining bitterly. His skin was broken and he had become loathsome to everyone around him so he had gone to sit among the ashes, scraping himself with broken pottery (Job 2:8). The man who is noted for patience had lost all patience for next to the weakness of man lies near his strength. It seemed to Job that he was being watched then punished and then watched again and that God put all His strength and attention on afflicting him. He asked; “Lord, why do you do this to me”? “The raging ocean or the mighty leviathan may need your careful watching but why do you spend this much time watching me”?
Do you feel watched? Some seem to be narrowly watched by God and they think the Lord’s eye is as much fixed on them as though they were great as a sea or huge as a whale. Or in more human form of complaint; “why must you watch me as if I were a baby”? Or we have heard of a person being “shadowed” by police and compare the God watching to this. Most do not like it! Wherever they go the “eye of the Spirit” is upon them and they cannot hide from it. David knew this; “where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence” (Psalm 139:7)? We know that God is always with everyone but it does seem like He pays closer attention to some and some have more awareness of this presence. Many are never without a sense of God and delight to see Him in every aspect of their lives. These know that God is good even through their trials and even when they know they have offended Him. Even though these sin (and we all do) they have never lost the sense of the nearness of God.
Others feel they are being condemned or accused by God because their conscience never ceases to rebuke them. This voice of conscience can get very loud, persistent and sometimes annoying. This voice will call you to give account for the “sin of the day” and wake you from a sound sleep. You will dream of past sins and fear the judgment that might come and the “solemn voice” will whisper; “you were wrong”! After David cut off the hem of King Saul’s garment, he was conscience-stricken and ordered his men not to attack Saul, his master and the Lord’s anointed (1 Sam. 24:5-8). This conscience is watching to make sure that you do not “sin cheaply”. God has set a watch within our souls and we all carry a detective in our bosoms; His name is the Holy Spirit. Job said that even his bed had become a weary place to him because of his dreams. My bed, too, has been a very weary place to me because the eyes of God’s anger seemed to be ever watching. I knew I had offended God and I had not yet found a way around or through my stubborn, prideful heart and would not forgive. In these times; “at midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws” (Ps. 119:62), and then the peaceful sleep would come. Why do we wait until God puts us on our face? Why must we argue with the One who knows best?
Some of us like to “get away”, where the church bells cannot be heard, and try various amusements where no one knows us. God is there ahead of us and wherever we go, holy warnings follow. Wherever anyone goes, most likely God has “planted” a Christian. The story goes that Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Smith were aboard a steamboat when Mr. Fullerton spoke to a rough man and asked him if he was saved. The man grew angry, cross, vexed and went to the other side of the vessel. There he complained to Mr. Smith, “that man over there asked me if I was saved; his is a fool”! “Very likely”, said Smith; “but then, you see, he is a fool for Christ. I think it is better to be a fool for Jesus than to be wise for the devil”. Then Smith, like Fullerton, began to plead with the man to turn from his foolish ways and follow Jesus. The man cried out; “there is a regular gang of them; I cannot go anywhere except they be on me”! I wonder what would happen if each Christian stretched out a hand to stop the unsaved from going into destruction? If each Christian would always wear that “God look”; not a critical look; not a judgmental look; not a condemnation look; but a kind, peaceful, loving look that would prick the conscience of the unsaved that they might ask why you care what they do. And every Christian’s answer should be; “so that you might live eternally in that Holy City, the New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:1-7). “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Rom. 10:15)!
God has made us watchmen! “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself” (Eze. 33:7-9). Do these words of God to Ezekiel make the effort of watching, caring and lovingly leading one to Christ worth your while?
Prayers from Texas