Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines nations not punish? Does He who teaches man lack knowledge? The LORD knows the thoughts of man; and He knows that they are vain. Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance. (Psalm 94:9-14)
- - - - -
This morning, I walked into the living room where I found three toddlers divvying up the contents of my wallet.
Jack and Traeh, clearly the leaders in this little endeavor, were throwing cash, cards, and receipts in various directions.
"No sir. No mam! What do you guys think you're doing?" I exclaimed.
In a flash, each of them quickly tucked away their new finds: one behind their back, another behind a nearby toy, and the third behind the window shade.
Though I was annoyed at both the mess and their sneakiness, I could not help but chuckle at their small view of my perception and knowledge.
I know what they were thinking: "He can't see this now...just act normal..."
But a receipt wad was sticking out from behind her back, the toy was half the size of the cash that he was holding, and come on, the shades were wide open.
I may wear thick glasses, but I am not blind.
And much like a toddler's small view of a parent's perception and knowledge is our small view of God's perception and knowledge.
Today, God is calling us to widen our view of Him. He is mighty. He is just. And He is all-knowing.
He who created ears can hear everything. He hears our prayerful cries. Our sly remarks. Our genuine thanksgiving. Our bitter tongue. Our ungrateful tone. Our authentic praises. Our angry responses. Our uplifting encouragements. Our distressed thoughts. And our worship.
He who formed the eyes can see everything. He can see our pain. Our adoration. Our hurt. Our hidden actions. Our quick reactions. Our devotion. Our heart posture. Our consistent - or inconsistent - service. And our mess ups.
And through all of this... He does not just hear and see. He knows, understands, and responds.
You see, "The LORD knows the thoughts of man; and He knows that they are vain."
And let's be honest... though we can say, think, and do many good and godly things, our flesh is always at work, trying to bring us back to a place of vanity.
We are limited, futile in thinking, vain, selfish, and unstable. Yet God knows, understands, and responds to all of this according to His faithfulness.
Being almighty, He disciplines. He shapes. He teaches. He relieves. And He revives. Every bit of suffering that we experienced can be shaped by His hands to become good and beneficial for His people.
Today's Psalm reminds us of our vanity, yet promises us of our God-given relief. "Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble..."
Today, recognize God's ability to see past your walls, your thick head, your selfish actions, and the open blinds that your hiding behind. In every way possible, He cares for our small understanding and He disciplines us, granting us continued learning.
And if you currently find yourself at a place of suffering, search for God's lessons amidst the pain. Though we are limited and vain, we serve a God who is unlimited and completely faithful. He "will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance."
Thank you so much for joining today! We would love to know your thoughts! Feel free to let us know by commenting in today's IG post (instagram.com/declareglory). As always, we would love your help sharing this devotion!
Blessings,
Greg, Declare Glory
