LifeLink Devotions (Click here for Audio Blog)

Thursday, February 10, 2022

In the cafeteria of a Christian school, the children were lined up for lunch. At the beginning of the line was a large pile of apples. A note was hung in front of the apples: “Take only one. God is watching.” Near the end of the line was a pile of chocolate chip cookies. One of the students jotted a quick note and placed it on the pile: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.“

Cute story, but we need to consider the real truth: God is watching everything. 

Job 34:21-22  “His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.“

Our heads seem to know that, but our hearts overwhelm that truth with personal desires. We are deceived into believing that as long as people don’t know what we did, then neither does God. We have succumbed to the satanic seduction of satisfying self. At best, which is really no better than the worst, we have made ourselves accountable to people rather than to God. In reality we have made ourselves out to be God by being accountable only to self.

But God is watching. For the unsaved, that truth is a negative. God will punish all sin with final and eternal death. But for the saved, it’s a positive. God will discipline His children in life. For those who are in Christ Jesus, the ultimate price of death was already paid by Jesus. As His children, we are now subject to His discipline. We should consider that a blessing. His love for us demands that He work for our good. Sin is not for our good. When we sin, His love will correct us. If no correction is taking place, what evidence do we have that we are His children? Read what the author of Hebrews says in chapter 12.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.”

Every hardship, every unforeseen circumstance, every tragedy, every health issue, every financial problem, every relationship struggle, every emotional crisis, and every personal temptation should be viewed as God’s intervention in our lives for the purpose of strengthening our faith and increasing our spiritual maturity. He is treating us as dearly loved children. His love for us is perfect, and His love is being perfected through His discipline which produces obedience. “We know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But he who keeps his word, in him is the love of God perfected: this is how we know we that we are in him.” (1 John 2:3-5)

We need to adjust our attitudes. If we desire to keep our sin, we fear the eyes of God. But if we desire to live for Jesus, we also desire God’s observation of our every step. We cherish the moments of correction. We treasure the gift of love we experience when He uses His rod and staff to keep us in line. We excitedly move from the grace of forgiveness to the grace of fellowship, for there we experience the fullness of the Father.

“Lord, look upon our every step today. May every word of our mouths and every thought of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, and when they are not, show us clearly the lesson we should learn as you discipline us. We want to be like Jesus.“

Pastor John