How we like to hide and wear a mask before others. Can we do this with God? He is the All-seeing God and nothing escapes his gaze (see Psalm 139 in the Bible). Hence, our need as humans to fear God  and be in awe of him, continually.

I sometimes overeat and because my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (who is in every Christian) I need to look after it. If I knowingly eat more than I need, then I am abusing the body that God has given me. He sees when I binge or secretly grab chocolate over and above what is necessary. How I need the fear of God to stop these wrong choices I make.

We’re all so weak, even if we don’t like admitting it. Hence our need for a Saviour, who is practical with us and helps us with every detail of our lives. If we would just lean on him more and allow him to take the reins of our lives, then our situations would be more different.

In James 4:17 of the Bible, it says to know to do right and not to do it is sin, a word we don’t like to use these days, but it has ‘I’ in the middle of it and that’s what it is all about. As we surrender our lives to God, then he becomes central and we don’t have rights or preferences any more. Our time is his, our money is his, our relationships are governed by him and our very lives from beginning to end are his. So, we have some adjusting to do which comes as we yield and admit we can’t, then he does it in us. It’s amazing how He works! The weaker I am, the more stronger in me he becomes. I’m reminded of the words that John the Baptist used when he was preparing the way for Jesus’ 3 years of ministry “He must increase, I must decrease.” and as the Contemporary English Version reads in John 3:30 (a version of the Bible I would particularly recommend) “Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.” The Bible sums it up beautifully!

There is comfort, also, in realising that ‘God knows’, especially when we go through circumstances that others don’t see. We may be misunderstood or judged about something, but the fact that God sees and knows all about us individually is wonderful and very liberating.  Because God sees all, even the thoughts and motives of our mind, we need to continually cry (as David of old did in the Psalms) to God and say, ‘create in my a clean heart’, so that even these are under his control and please him.

When he sees us, his highest creation, he wants to reach and touch and love us like a parent does for a child. He is the ultimate Father (and mother all in one) and he makes each of us complete. So, let’s embrace this wonderful God who, even though he sees every part of us, complex as we are, loves us even in our worst and darkest moments. He came to rescue us, not condemn us and, as we come to him, we can find out that great love that he has for us.

Our children, also, need to know this unconditional love. Even when they mess up, they are still loved by God who can pick them up and start all over again. ‘Sorry’ and ‘I forgive you’ need to be well used words on our children’s lips. Then, they can learn to keep their slate clean before God and before others and have that proper self worth intact.

What an amazing, all-seeing God we have available to each of us.