“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry.” ~ Psalms 34:15
Have you ever wondered where God is on days when it seems everything is going wrong? I know that there are some days when it seems that God is ignoring us or that He has left us to reap the benefits of our own sinfulness. But if you believe the Bible then you have to believe that God’s eyes are on us and that He is paying attention to our unique set of circumstances. He not only sees us, but He is also listening. We are under constant surveillance by the God of the Universe.
Job was aware of God’s constant surveillance when He wrote: “Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 34:21, KJV) He answers his own question by stating “For His eyes are upon the ways of men, and seeth all his goings” (Job 34:21). The writer of the book of Hebrews states clearly: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).
Not only does God see all things that happen to us, but he also knows all things:“For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20). The Psalms tell us: “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalms 147:5).
In these verses of scripture we learn that God is watching and knows all things with infinite understanding. Whenever we have a problem in our daily life, we can rest assured that God is aware of what is happening and has a solution to our problem. If God allows something to happen, then we can know that He has a purpose for letting it happen. If God created the universe in all of its complexity and mystery, then how can He be confused by our problems? We simply have to trust that God knows what He is doing.
The eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, but His ears are also open to their cry. God is more than willing to listen to us when we cry out to him in our pain. He wouldn’t have it any other way. He wants us to call to him. He even commands it through the prophet Jeremiah: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not”(Jeremiah 33:3). Since God has all the answers, it makes perfect sense for us to turn to Him who is the source of all wisdom and power. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah about how eager he is to hear our prayers: “And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
When we stop to ponder the truthfulness of these verse of scripture, we catch a glimpse of the type of relationship God desires to have with each of us. God hurts when we hurt and cries when we cry (Isaiah 63:9). In His wisdom, He must allow evil to run its course. He must permit bad things to happen. But He is on our side and promises to give us the peace that surpasses all understanding when we call upon Him in prayer: “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
The Apostle Peter quoted directly from Psalms 34:15 when he stated “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12). It is comforting to know that God is always watching, and that He hears me when I cry out to him in my suffering. I know when I pray that God is listening to me. He is eager to grant me the peace of heart that comes only from the knowledge of His presence.
~Stephen Beagles