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| Vol. 14 No. 10 October 20121 | Page 11 |
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| Vol. 14 No. 10 October 20121 | Page 11 |
What Does God See?E. Dean Kelly
One of the little ones where I preach,
Climbed up high to look around
To see as far as his sight could reach,
To see each scene, to hear each sound.
He felt so big, as he could see
What seemed to him to be so far,
Amazed at how big the world could be,
Nothing there his wonder could mar.
But as he contemplated all he saw,
A question formed in his young mind,
His heart was filled with respectful awe,
Hoping that an answer he could find.
“When God looks down from up on high
From His great home in heaven’s land,
When He gazes here from over the sky,
What does He see, is it what He planned?”
Oh, from the mouth of this little one
Comes wisdom that adults should learn,
What really matters, when all’s said and done:
“What does God see” should be our concern.
I know that God sees a world gone astray
Filled with hatred and every evil thing,
He sees mankind trying to make his own way,
But leaving His will in most everything.
But I am more interested, I must admit,
In what He sees when He looks at me;
Does He see someone for His kingdom fit?
Someone who is ready for eternity?
Does He read a heart full of faith and love?
Does He see actions that serve Him well?
Does He hear thoughts centered on Christ above,
With a tongue His message prepared to tell?
Good question, little one, I must say,
What does God see when He looks down?
Does He see the things in me each day,
Which will earn for me a heavenly crown?
If you are in a place where you can see
Miles and miles and all around,
Ask yourself this question, honestly,
What does God see when He is looking down?
Adam B. Cozort
It does not take a deep expedition into the pages of Scripture to find the promises of God’s blessings for obedience. Whether one is considering the life of Abraham, the promises to David or the writings of Paul, the blessings of God are a consistent theme of the Bible. God blesses man in many ways, both physically and spiritually. His concern for our lives and welfare is amply demonstrated in every aspect of the commands that are given, so that we might live long, peaceable lives in his service (1 Timothy 2:2; Ephesians 6:3).
Recognizing the blessings of God, there is a question that should follow in our minds: Do we bless God? The word “bless” is defined by Webster as, “To make happy; to make successful; to prosper in temporal concerns; to set apart or consecrate to holy purposes; to make and pronounce holy; to praise; to glorify, for benefits received; etc.” In other words, to bless one means to give praise, to make happy and successful, and to separate from others.
As Christians, we give great attention to the blessings God has given us, but are we giving equal attention to the blessings we give God? Abraham is described as the friend of God (James 2:23), David as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), and others are related in Hebrews 11. These men and women blessed God by their lives and deeds; they served Him acceptably, devoted their lives to His commandments and willingly engaged in His service wherever it led.
When God looks at our lives, is He blessed for our existence? Can God see who we are and what we have become with joy and happiness for the love and devotion directed toward Him? Do we spend our days praising Him and extolling His virtues or cursing Him and negating His value?
Your life has the opportunity to be a blessing to everyone you meet. You can, through your attitude and actions make men happy to know you, thankful to have met you and hopeful to see you again. However, along with that, you must remember two things: (1) If your actions and attitudes are ungodly and immoral, they will have the opposite effect on those you meet. (2) God’s view of you can be affected by your actions, just as one’s actions can affect men’s view.
Mankind is created in the image of God, and He is an emotional being. He loves and hates. He feels joy and sorrow. His letters through the prophets portray the depth of His emotional involvement with His people on both an individual and collective level. Therefore, our actions and attitudes have a direct effect upon God. You can break God’s heart or make His day, bring him joy or cause him pain, let Him accept you as a friend or make Him acknowledge you as an enemy.
With every decision we make and every direction we take, we impact the emotions of God. As we consider our lives, do we bless Him? As we desire His blessings, do we impart the same? May God bless you, and may you bless him.