The One True God is All-seeing and All-hearing
Day Twenty-One
by Gini Crawford, MSW
www.BecauseOfGod.com
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God hears and sees it all
Since God is eternal, always present, all-knowing, and all-powerful, then of course He sees and hears everything. God sees and hears what is happening now, but He has also seen and heard everything in the past, and will in the future. God isn't like me, who unwisely closes my eyes while heading into the bushes on my bike. God's eyes are wide open, and He sees everything, and acts for our best.
And the Egyptians treated us harshly...and imposed hard labor on us. Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand... Deuteronomy 26:6-8 NASB®
God answers
There are numerous stories in the Old Testament that describe how God sees and hears, and answers. A favorite of mine is: The Assyrians, the world power at the time, were laying siege to a small defenseless country named Judah (in 701 BC) to destroy it. A prayer from the defenseless nation's king, Hezekiah, put in motion God miraculously defending Judah, and defeating the Assyrians without even an arrow being shot. (Isaiah 37:14-21,33-38).
Do you go to God in prayer like King Hezekiah did? Keep in mind, He will answer your prayer, but in His perfect wisdom and timing.
Jesus supernaturally perceives everything
The first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels, tell the story of Jesus living on the earth. In the Gospels you see that Jesus was yes, a person like you and me, but He was so much more, because He is God. Jesus supernaturally saw and heard everything around Him: The peoples' thoughts and motives, everyone's past and future. (Matthew 9:3-4; Luke 8:45-46, 11:17, 22:31-34; John 1:47-50).
A great example of Jesus supernaturally seeing and hearing everything around Him is in John chapter four: Jesus was sitting at a well of water, talking with a woman. The woman realized immediately Jesus was different. This is because He wasn't just talking to her kindly, but as they talked, He could see and hear what the reality was behind her words; He knew exactly how she was living without her explaining. Jesus was seeing and hearing into her very heart and soul. This encounter with Jesus bought eternal life to the woman and many others. (John 4:7-19, 25-30, 39-42) How amazing it must have been to have communicated with the One True God face to face. Someday in eternity, we will too.
God sees our hearts
God looks at a person's heart; whereas we tend to look at the outward appearance of a person. As God told Samuel in the Old Testament:
Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 NASB
The heart generally means the mind. We could say, God sees and hears our thoughts, reasonings, understandings, will, desires, and motives. The inclination of our hearts and minds can be very evil, but our hearts and minds are transformed in beautiful ways through Jesus (Jeremiah 17:9-10; Hebrews 10:19-22). Isn't it a relief to know our hearts can be right before God and not guilty?
Have you ever thought you had godly motives but then God showed you otherwise (Psalm 7:9)? A man was helping his elderly neighbor with her yard, thinking he was just being kind. But then God showed him that He was really doing it so she would put him in her Will. We can lie to others, even to ourselves, but not to God. He sees our true motives, and then praises or convicts accordingly.
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5 NASB®
I definitely can have sinful thoughts and motives. Ask God to search your thoughts and motives for any sin (Proverbs 15:3). I do. If there is sin, confess it, and ask God to help you stop it. Remember, He will hear you (Psalm 32:5).
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24 NASB®
God watches over us
When I read this story years ago, I thought, "Wow, what a wonderful illustration of God watching over us." It was twelve days after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a man was miraculously found alive beneath the concrete and wood of a hotel grocery. He survived by diving under a table when the ceiling started to fall. He said, "It was God who heard my cry for help. He watched over me and was tucking me away in His arms. He gave me strength!"
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. / For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths. / The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good. / ...says God the LORD...I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you... Psalm 34:17; Proverbs 5:21, 15:3; Isaiah 42:5-6 NASB®
Maybe you are near death, as the man above was; possibly you are dealing with a difficult health problem; perhaps you are at work or a job interview; maybe you are celebrating your child's birthday or graduation; or simply on your daily walk - whatever your circumstance, bad or good, God is watching over you. Are you reassured and strengthened by this certainty?
Life Application
God compassionately hears and sees
God is called the God who sees and hears by a mistreated slave in Genesis chapter sixteen. Have you ever been mistreated by people who had authority over you? Well that's what happened to the slave Hagar. However God saw and heard Hagar's affliction, protected her, and blessed her and her descendants. God told Hagar to name her son, Ishmael, which means God hears. The spring of water where she met God was named the well of the living One who sees. Read Genesis 16:6-15.
Describe God from Genesis 16:6-15.
How does knowing God sees and hears all things influence your life? It surely did Hagar's life.
God hears our every prayer like He heard Hagar's. Explain a recent prayer God answered in your life.
Yesterday morning on my walk, I asked God to help me set up a number of doctors' appointments. (If you have ever made appointments you know it takes a lot of time, because invariably you get put on hold. It can be very frustrating.) That day in the mail, I received a schedule of all my husband's and my appointments which I wasn't expecting. Not really a miracle, but a huge blessing from God.
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