Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Do you ever feel like someone is watching you? Of course, in some parts of the world, someone is watching you, a person or at least a camera, put there for purposes of public order or documenting criminal activity. But in Psalm 33:13-15, we have the image of God looking down on us, watching “all the inhabitants of the earth” (ESV). He made his people and he watches what they do. Does this seem intrusive? As some of my younger friends would say, is it more than a little bit creepy? Perhaps so. But on the other hand, maybe it could seem more like something that happens around my house frequently.
I have a lot of friends who we might say are “on the wild side.” Some of them have two legs. Some have four legs. Those with two legs also have wings. Many of those friends appreciate the fact that I bring a little bit of corn to a particular place nearly every day. Many of them also benefit from the salt block that’s near the corn. I watch them, and they watch me. It isn’t unusual, when I put up the blinds for the day in the morning, to see a number of geese or ducks watching the house. I watch them, and they watch me.
The situation with God in Psalm 33 is a little different. It’s the same kind of friendly watching, but even more friendly. God watches over his people, seeing what they are doing, and he cares about all their actions, all their ideas, all their thoughts. After all, those thoughts are perfectly visible to him. He knows what we’re doing!
Is this frightening? Perhaps it should be. But look at the surrounding context in Psalm 33. He saves the king. He arranges nature. He arranges the nations and hinders the plans of the wicked. He loves his people and watches over them, making sure they are all right.
In uncertain times, we realize more than ever that we need just this kind of God, one who will watch over his people and make sure they are all right. When unbelieving, fearful people mock Christians, notice the Christians they are mocking are the same people who will face hardship and even death unafraid. God is watching over his people. There’s no fear in that. The fear is only for those who are rejecting God’s love and care. It’s there for us. Why should we doubt?
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