18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:18-19)
It’s a strange thought to think the Lord is watching you. When we’re young, we view this with fear. We think He lurks around the corner waiting for us to disappoint Him so He can catch us in the act. We fear a God who uses His power for such legalism. Awhile ago, we had a student visit our ministry. He was an outgoing and funny senior. We connected immediately. He informed us that this was the first time he had ever been to a church. When asked why, he described always feeling like God would strike him down in flames if he ever set foot across the church threshold. We laughed, but he was serious. As a homosexual, he was taught believing of God’s hatred by those around him. This was a natural manifestation of how we often felt as kids rebelling against a petty god. This is the fear of man and not the fear of God, for His fear is freedom. It is easy for us to believe in the God we create over the true character of God Scripture reveals. This is a natural consequence of the least Biblically literate culture in history. When we get away from how He describes himself, we make up our own version of moral legality. It is no coincidence this Psalm speaks of both life and death in this context. The Lord’s will for those who fear Him is to live past death and thrive in life. His love is well rounded and must encompass every corner of our thought lest our perverted thoughts of His character leak in.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. (Psalm 33:6)
His word is the only one that matters. With it, He created, and with it He will usher us into eternity. For He spoke, and it came to be (v.9). What would our life and our Church look like if we were based in His word, and we let Him have the final and loudest word?
Today, He has a word for you. Seek it. Trust in His goodness and rest in His love. Examine your thoughts through the lens of Scripture. Do they match?
Lord, teach us your Word. Give us the courage to believe you above our own perspective. Rid us of false descriptions and theories we have about you.
Matt simon blog 