“But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.” Psalm 33:18 (NLT)

When I was growing up, anytime I went anywhere, my mother always reminded me, “Someone is always watching you.” I didn’t question who might be watching or doubt that she was telling me the truth. We lived in a small town where everyone knew who I was, so I figured if I did anything bad, someone would make sure my parents knew about it. This kept me from getting in a whole lot of trouble!!! 

Years later, my mom laughed at how seriously I had taken that warning. She confessed that she hadn’t placed spies all over West Liberty. When she said someone was watching, she meant THE ONE. God. I rolled my eyes at this revelation. I already knew He was watching!!!

This scripture reminds me a lot of that conversation with my mom. The Lord watches over those who fear- who revere and worship– him. He’s not watching like I thought my mom’s spies might have been, waiting to catch me doing something I should do. Instead, He is watching over us, looking out for us, caring for us, and protecting us. 

There’s a second part of this verse that is just as important as the first. The Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. The watching out for us is part of that love. We don’t need to be afraid of being seen by God. He watches us as an act of His faithful mercy.

I was studying John 3 this week, and I was especially drawn to the part where Jesus is teaching about how God is light, and how when the Light came into the world, people whose actions were evil tried to hide in the darkness where they couldn’t be seen. Thankfully, God’s light shines too bright for that. He is lighting up the dark places and calling us to step into the fullness of his love.  I am thankful that there is no place I can hide from the light and love of our good Father!

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you feel about knowing you are being seen and watched over by God? Is that creepy to you or is it comforting?

2. How can you fully step into the light of God’s love?

#SeenandKnown