Is God Watching Over You?
Read 2 Peter 1:5-11
How do you live? How does your knowledge of God affect your behavior, decision-making, interactions, and perception of your situation? Is He watching over you?
We’ve learned from the previous verses that God has granted us (a better word might be “bestowed upon us”) divine power to live — He knows what we need and when to provide it to us. His promises are safe, secure, and precious. We’ve escaped the corruption of this evil world, and now we need to live like it’s true.
As He watches over you, He knows you love Him.
Lord, You know all things; You know that I love you? John 21:7
God is watching in Love
In this epistle, we receive encouragement to supplement our faith with certain virtues – virtues that God cares to see in us.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:5-6
At first glance, this looks like a list of what we are to do on our own or how we are to grow in the faith. It’s a bit of this and a bit of that. But I think it’s much more, it’s what God wants to see in us.
I woke up thinking this morning about God. Not just God in general, but the God who sees (Genesis 16:3). God has been diligently working in us, so He must be watching in expectation as we supplement our faith with His goodness in us.
God is watching to See Himself.
You see, the reason David was called the “apple of God’s eye” is that their relationship was so personal that when God looked at Him, He could see a reflection of Himself.
David knew God.
How are we to know if there is no knowledge, or learn if there’s no Teacher?
Fundamental knowledge of God comes from our day-to-day walk with Him. The indwelling Holy Spirit does not lay die, but moves in the soul to lead and guide us into all truth. This truth is not esoteric knowledge or a stream of proven data. This truth is a person — our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
If we know Christ, then we know the Father, and then we know the Father is watching us — watching us with love.
God’s word directs us to supplement our faith with goodness. Such goodness means we are living in awareness that what we do is good for others. Be the neighbor that none of your neighbors want to see you move.
For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and He examines all his paths. Proverbs 5:21
God is Watching to Give us Knowledge
Developing knowledge calls for a direct and personal relationship with Him who pours out wisdom and understanding in your soul. Such knowledge comes from personal experience through an intimate, daily relationship with Him. In such knowledge, we quickly understand the value of self-control.
In Webster’s Dictionary, there are four pages dedicated to self. Self means belonging to oneself. It’s a single character and the essence of your character. Your character is reflected in your behavior. The self is the body, emotions, and thoughts all in one. Control is restraint you exercise over your impulses, emotions, or desires.
Self-control in the sight of God is the moment you relinquish all rights to self and submit wholeheartedly to His will, ways, and purposes. Holiness begins when we surrender self and control our emotions, impulses, and desires at check — yielding them to our Lord. Self-control is the daily move to yield to God in every situation, condition, and position we hold.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God. I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Romans 12:1 CSB.
God is Watching Over Us With Care
Such self-control produces a steadfastness in us that is firmly fixed in place and not subject to the winds of false doctrine or the storms of self-centeredness. We are loyal to God and not subject to change. We’ve formed our belief with determination and hold fast to that belief faithfully. Not only that, but we are steadfast in the Lord and secure in Him.
Faithfully we move, live, and have our being in Christ. We can live in godliness, devout, and true. We can affectionately love our brothers and sisters in Christ without destroying peace in the congregation. Furthermore, we can love one another and with that love do no harm or wish any harm on someone else.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
As the Holy Spirit and the diving power of God rests on you, then these qualities will be natural for you. They are important elements of your with-God life.
God is watching To Keep Our Eyes Wide Open
And now we know the why. Why supplement our faith with these virtues?
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will help you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:8 CSB
False knowledge leads us away from God. Believing anything false destroys our inner life. Lies lead us into deception and deception into immorality, and then marked for death. True, and right knowledge of God is fundament to our life with God. God makes Himself known to the yielded heart, and the yielded heart is capable of knowing Him rightly.
God is Watching As The Holy Spirit Moves
Knowing God rightly changes us and these changes can be seen in what we do, say, and think. We live virtuous lives. The Holy Spirit and divine power keep us from being idle or unfruitful. Our full, personal, precise and correct knowledge keeps us from being blind spiritually. It keeps us from shortsightedness as well. God is both near you and with others.
The blind are unable or unwilling to discern. They lack direction or discernment. They are without knowledge. The shortsightedness is scary, for the sight is only on self and lacks any ability of foresight.
When we do not care what God sees in us or what message we give about Him to others, then we become oblivious to the truth — our sins are forgiven, and we belong to the Lord. We don’t even care that He’s watching.
God is watching Us Watching Him
It’s not a vain or self-righteous thing to care that what we do is right — right in God’s eyes. We need to confirm our calling and secure our continued fellowship with God.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided to you. 2 Peter 1:10-11 CSB.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, let me remind you that God is perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness. He is our Creator and Ruler of the universe. This passage is a good reminder that our life is not our own.
Know who you walk with and who is walking with you.
God is watching over us for our good, and He’s given us divine power to live the with-God life. He has given us grace and peace to live with Him every day. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord, and the fear of the Lord leads us into right living.
Notice how David and Job knew God. As you read these verses, make it your desire to know God and know Him intimately, for He is watching over you with love.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV.
But I know that my Redeemer lives. Job 19:25
Praise God? He is watching over you and this is a goodl thing.
