Grace For The Journey

  The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

Someone has said, “The eyes are the light of the soul.”  I believe that the eyes can generally reveal what is taking place in the heart.  The eyes say a lot when someone is startled, joyful, downhearted, or angry.  In some lands there are superstitions regarding the color of “the evil eye.”  Our mothers had “eyes” in the back of their heads.  The eye’s design is one of the astounding miracles of the Almighty and in His divine purpose sight is one of the five senses we treasure.

It is no wonder that the Bible speaks of the “eyes of the Lord.”  Though God is Spirit and not confined to physical form there is no doubt that He “sees.”  The Scriptures refer to the sight of God in such phrases as “nothing is hidden” from Him, we stand “before Him,” and “He sees” the plight of those who fear Him.

Referring to the “vision” of God is a human way of saying that God is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing).  In practical terms, He is all seeing, all sensing, all wise, all evaluating, all superior, all noting, all remembering, and either rewarding or judging as fitting to the circumstance.

In the Bible these signify two important aspects of God:

1. His knowledge

Job 34:21 – “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.”

Hebrews 4:13 – “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things a naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

2. His providence.

For good:

Psalms 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should; I will guide you with My eye.”

For evil:

Isaiah 3:8 – “For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of His glory.”

Our text is interesting because it is found in the story of King Asa of Judah.  In 2 Chronicles 14:2–4 the Bible records that, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.”  During Asa’s reign a prophet told him, “the Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”  Asa generally followed that advice, but towards the end of his reign he looked elsewhere for his security and found it from worldly sources without consulting God.  Because of this breach of God’s plain command is given.

Asa had forgotten the words of King David (his forebear) who proclaimed this truth in several of his psalm, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” … “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” … “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 32:8, 33:13–19, 34:15)

Why such an intense interest displayed by God?  It is in the affairs of men (created in His image) that God intentionally and personally acts in relationship to His revealed Word.

Those who yield in loyalty to His divine prerogative

Are treated to ringside seats to see displays

Of His strength, wisdom, sustaining grace,

And covenantal lovingkindness.

In Psalm 17:8 David says, “Keep me as the apple (pupil) of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.”

With a pure heart and clear conscience the believer desires the approving “eye of God” to rest upon him in harmony with God’s all-wise and all-loving plan.

Are there things you do in your life

Which you wish God did not see

Of which you must repent and confess?

Do you make yourself available to God

And make it your daily request

That He demonstrate His strength

Through you as He pleases?

Do you desire for His eye to rest on you?

In this verse we find a picture of God’s eyes scanning the earth for those seeking God’s assistance.  The context of this passage is actually a confrontation of king Asa’s lack of reliance on the Lord.  Asa, who had once trusted in God, turned to Syria’s military might instead of God’s might for help.

Like Asa, we are confronted

With daily decisions of trust and reliance.

The eyes of man run to and fro throughout the earth looking for people and things it can rely on for support.  Asa chose to put his hope in another nation’s strength instead of God’s strength.  What do we put our trust in?  Our own strength and abilities? Our relationships?  Our savings account?  The stock market?  Our academic degree?  Our paycheck?  Our spouse’s affection?

The problem is that the minute

We put our ultimate reliance

On finite powers and things,

We are asking those things

To do for us something

They are incapable of doing.

Only God Himself can provide

True stability, life,

And support to us.

God is seeking to provide support to us not because He needs validation, but rather because He knows we need Him!  He beckons us to trust Him because He knows anything less than Himself won’t be enough and will let us down.

As our eyes run to and fro,

May our eyes meet

The eyes of the living God

Who is seeking to come

To our assistance!

He promises to not just give support, but strong support.  He doesn’t merely give you a pat on the back and whisper an encouraging uplifting word and then walk away, but rather comes with His mighty strength and support to help you and stand by you.

What does He look for?

A blameless heart.

A heart that knows

It can’t do it on its own.

A heart that knows it needs Him.

A heart that does not turn

Elsewhere for ultimate hope.

A heart that has put its faith (confidence)

Not in its own perfection & blamelessness,

But rather in Jesus and His perfect obedience

And atoning death on the cross.

The Bible teaches that those who turn away from their sin and self-reliance and put their trust in Jesus’ work for them are now found “in Christ.”  What does this mean?  It means that when God looks at us, He no longer see our sin and blame, but sees His Son and His blood.  He sees a blameless heart because He sees His Son’s heart in us.  This doesn’t mean we don’t sin anymore; it just means that God no longer counts our sin against us and is working in us by His Spirit to set us free from this sin more and more.  Because of Christ, you can cry out to the Father in His Son’s Name and in the Spirit’s power, knowing that God will not only hear you, but give you “strong support.”  What a miracle and what a privilege!

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”