How Does God See Us?
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV).
Tomorrow I head back to the state where my broadcasting career began, Tennessee. As I prepare for a speaking engagement in the Nashville, a flood of memories from my Tennessee days come to mind. While I enjoyed my early years of television there, I’m not proud of who I was back then. After accepting Christ as my Savior in high school, luscious Chattanooga, Tennessee was a place of spiritual drought. I made rare appearances at church, never studied the Bible and engaged in sinful behavior.
Years ago, a television buddy from the Tennessee days, who later became a Christian, ran into a ministry friend of mine at a Christian conference in New York City. When she found out I was now a follower of Jesus, she sent this message back, “Tell Lisa I am as surprised to hear she is a Christian as she will be to find out I am as well.” That made me sad to hear because I thought I was a Christian back then.
What I know is that God witnessed everything I did in those days, and still loves me anyway. I pushed his presence away, but he still saw me. While I didn’t spend time with him, I have a feeling he tried to woo me back to a closer relationship with him. I just didn’t listen.
It’s humbling, and comforting at the same time, to realize God sees us wherever we are.
He sees us even though we’ve distanced from him.
He sees our sin.
He sees what we think in our hearts.
When two loving friends lowered their paralyzed pal through a roof so that Jesus could heal him, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
The religious leaders who heard Jesus were thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
While they did not say this out loud, Jesus knew in his spirit what they were thinking and called them on it. He saw their hearts.
If only we could live, knowing we are in full view of our Savior.
Knowing he sees the not so noteworthy behavior, but that he also sees us when we are ailing, heartbroken and lonely. Knowing he cares and loves us. If we really believed he sees us 24/7, I think it would change the way we respond to many situations.
I realize even though I did not deserve it, God provided wonderful friends in Tennessee. I went there not knowing a soul. He gave me an adopted mom, who I still communicate with today, and he provided some early success in my career.
Why?
Because he saw me.
And even though I didn’t see his presence back then, he knew one day I would.