The God who sees
We all have different memories of 2020. For some, it was a year of pain and struggle; a year to forget. For others, it was a year of refocus, of decisions made that changed our lives for the better. Maybe it was a mix of both.
But whatever our experience, there was one constant – a God who saw us. Whether we just about crawled through 2020 or bounced into it with renewed vision, God was watching over us.
Some went through masses of lockdown time alone – no-one saw you (physically) for days on end. Some locked down with others, but still felt alone. Fractured relationships rising to the surface leaving you feeling more separated than together. Or, simply overwhelmed by additional responsibilities that saw you slowly collapsing inside day by day while trying to keep others going.
But the God who sees saw you when no-one else did. And he sees you now.
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry… (Psalm 34: 15a)
It’s a beautiful thing when someone who loves you has their eyes on you – you feel noticed, you feel valued, you feel cherished. This is someone who is really looking at you, seeing you in detail, it’s not a fleeting glance, but someone who is paying attention to you. Many of us are in need of this, and the Bible tells us that God is looking at us.
Let that sink in. The eyes of the most powerful One are on you. The eyes of the all-knowing One are on you. The eyes of the most loving One are on you. The God who created and owns all things is looking at you.
Is your heart full of excitement and anticipation for the rest of the year? God sees you and is rejoicing with you. Is your heart full of fear and fatigue? God sees you and is carrying you.
God brought us through last year – the one none of us saw coming. He sees us now too, and whatever is ahead of us he is watching over us and will be with us.
If you flick back a chapter, you’ll see that God has told us this before.
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33: 18)
God’s eyes are on his children, those who fear him and hope in his love.
It means we are never alone. That wherever we find ourselves, we know the great Conqueror, the great Deliverer, the Peaceful One is with us.
There wasn’t much that was normal or certain about 2020 but there was one thing that didn’t change – God. So many things couldn’t take the strain – governments blundered through; decades-old businesses collapsed; social support systems buckled. But there was God, watching us, comforting us, strengthening us. Whatever is to come – good or bad – we have a God whose eyes are on us, we have a God who loves us deeply, we have a God who will never leave us. And that’s all we need.
Pause: Take some time to be still in God’s presence
Reflect: What does it mean to you to know that the eyes of the Most High God are always on you?
Rise: What will you do to remind yourself that God is watching over you when you need to know this most?