Who are you when no one is looking?

[MrVersatile48]

Who are you when no one is looking?


Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (NIV) Hebrews 4:13

How does your behavior change when you're not with Christian friends? How do your words change in the workplace? How do you treat your family when you're behind closed doors? What thoughts do you think that if revealed, you'd be terribly embarrassed? What habit would you most want to hide from the public eye?

Many times we think that we are "getting away" with something, because we're not aware that anyone is watching. . . but, all of us are accountable for every thought and action to the One who sees and knows all!

Written by Marji "Mike" Kruger

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Just time to see Psalm 139 @ http://www.BibleGateway.org

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me inâ€â€behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.


Ian

 

[lovely]

You know, Ian, this is such an interesting topic.

I remember in my mid-twenties struggling with this very much. I had escaped much of the peer pressure that seems to hit in the teen years only to discover it for myself while in college. I think because in college it appealed to my pride, and I thought myself to be more sophisticated somehow mixing with people who had different beliefs and ways, and I was ashamed of my faith at times in front of them. Anyway, I remember feeling uncomfortable so much of the time, because I knew that my Heavenly Father could see me, and I knew that I was selling out for a little acceptance and flattery from the world. It was unsettling, but after a while my heart hardened and I no longer felt as if He could see me. A few years of that path brought great discipline in my life, but ultimately I was brought to my knees by a heart heavy with repentance, humility, and sorrow.

Just last night, though, I was thinking about the joy of obedience, and the sweet security of trusting the Lord with a child-like faith, especially when alone. It's those private thoughts of the mind that must be given over, and how precious to be able to share them with my intimate friend...to lay them down at His feet with an accountable heart. It is really so nice to be able to take Him at His Word, as the song says, and really rest in His protection and will knowing all the while that He really is watching.

Life is so much more challenging now since those college days, I mean as far as it's circumstances go, but it seems so much easier to just trust Him and know that He really is there watching...watching over. Why is that? Why was I so willing to 'hide' when there was no trial at all, but now so willing to have a heart open to Him when there are seasons of just sheer grief in my life? I think those earlier days were a training and a gift, though I regret being unfaithful to Him.

The blessing is, He uses all these things to grow us, to make us humble. I thank Him for that, and I thank Him that there is never no one looking, because He always sees. The Lord bless you.

 

[Vic C.]

HE's always there! I know that.

Thanks T and Ian for that reminder. I had a strange encounter with God this morning. I was riding the rails on my way to work, trying to listen to an Oldie, but goody on my headphones. As usual, the chatter of people on their cellphones was coming through over the music in my headphones. The song was "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James and as I started to turn up the volume over the cell chatter, I heard that still small voice say, "don't listen to them, listen to me". Hmm, HE didn't really say anything, but instead the last verse of the song just rang through my headphones:

"Maybe tomorrow, when He looks down
Every green field... and every town
All of His children, every nation
There'll be peace and good, brotherhood...

Crystal blue persuasion"

Well when I got to work, I looked up all the lyrics to that song. You see, I'm 50 and have heard that song a 100 times or more since 1969 and NEVER really picked up on the lyrics of that last verse. As I read the lyric website, I ran across this!

According to Tommy James himself, "when I wrote Crystal Blue, it was taken from the book of Revelation: the imagery of the new Jerusalem." But I prefer to think that the "blue crystal" is really the planet Earth. This song was a big hit in 1969, the year man landed on the moon, and television viewers saw a beautiful blue round crystal sphere photographed from space.

Wow! Sorry to have digressed somewhat, but I felt the need to share that.

CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION

Look over yonder what do you see
The sun is a-risin' most definitely
A new day is comin' people are changin'
Ain't it beautiful, crystal blue persuasion

Better get ready, gonna see the light
Love, love is the answer and that's all right
So don't you give up now, so easy to find
Just look to your soul and open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion, mm-hmm
It's a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion, crystal...
Blue persuasion

Maybe tomorrow, when He looks down
Every green field and every town
All of His children, every nation
There'll be peace and good, brotherhood

Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal blue persuasion.....