The Eyes of the Lord

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Proverbs 14:3

The eye of the Lord is everywhere. The Lord sees all things. The Lord beholds the evil and the good upon the earth. This seems astonishing and yet we rarely think about it. Some people get angry about it, for if the Lord sees, why does he not do something about the evil. Ah! We forget about man’s free will. The Lord God has given us the choice to choose between blessing or cursing, between life and death, and between good and evil.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

Deuteronomy 30:19

To think that there is even a record of what we have chosen is something that is unheard of let alone mentioned. How do we even know that there is a God unless we are told by someone. The biggest comfort we can have when someone we love dies is the possibility of seeing them again when we pass. Sometimes a funeral may be the first time we have ever heard a message from a pulpit when scriptures are read from the Bible. Yet, this may be of little comfort for some people. One thing we do know is that there is good and evil in the world. We learn this and we see and experience it on a daily basis. We may not fully understand the rationality of why humans do what they do, but we soon know that the use of knowledge is to attain specific goals. These goals are used to gain possessions. We just do not think that the eye of the Lord sees all the things that we do. Would we do anything differently if someone was watching us?

Who is watching who is the question we are asking when it comes to having some sort of privacy. Just think about the security cameras. We have forgotten that they are there and yet criminals are bolder today as they crash into stores with vehicles and ransack stores. We are witnessing this in the news almost daily. Violence is being displayed upon school grounds when young children come to school with guns. How they got those guns is a question we keep asking. I can remember seeing a gun on the coffee table when I was 8 years old. My mom was sleeping on the couch and the gun was lying on the coffee table. I knew guns were bad and killed people, but I did not know why there was a gun on the coffee table. This was in the 1960’s. No one talks about the sanctity of life, and it seems that it is taken for granted. Yet, all life should be sacred since we are all created in God’s image. Do we value human life? This is dependent upon the knowledge one has of good and evil and if they believe in God.

The Bible tells us to choose between life and death, blessing and cursing. Not only does the eyes of the Lord see the evil and good of man, but he ponders upon man’s hearts.

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”

Proverbs 21:2

We may believe that our way is the right way, but the consequences tell us otherwise. It all boils down to the motives of the heart. Of course, many of us would choose life rather than death. Choosing life is to obey the Lord’s commandments and walk in them. The result of your obedience is that God will make whatever work you do with your hands, to grow along with the increase of your cattle and your land. The increase is the fruit it will bring forth. God is good in the promises He makes.

“And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:”

Deuteronomy 30:9

Our Lord God wants to show himself strong on your behalf and to rejoice over you with good. He looks for those who seek him with all their heart. The Lord loves righteousness and so should we. Can we rely on the Lord our God? King Asa of Judah did not rely on the Lord and Hanani the seer came to Asa and said, ” the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand because you did not rely on the Lord thy God,” [see 2 Chronicles 16:7].

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore, from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

2 Chronicles 16:9

Is your heart perfect toward the Lord thy God? The eye of the Lord is looking throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on our behalf. The Lord has given everyone a choice to choose whom we will serve. It is our choice that brings wars around us. The greed and selfish desires of the heart wage war upon the human race. With our mouth, we bless and curse foolishly, creating conflict. James the brother of Jesus states that this should not be happening.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeded blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

James 3:9-10

James continues to say that it is bitter envying and strife in the hearts of man. This brings confusion and every evil work [see James 3:16]. This is not the wisdom that comes from the father God above. Listen to what James says about wisdom that is from above.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17

Let us choose wisely and listen to what the Lord our God is saying in His word. As the eyes of the Lord beholding evil and good, He is waiting to see who will rely on Him. Let us choose life instead of death that we may live. Let our hearts be perfect towards the Lord our God. Let His eyes look upon those whose heart is pure and bless them with the increase of their hands.