Does God See Us? 

Is he looking out for us? 

    Welcome back to the 80’s.

    Another week and another deep dive into the music of my childhood and my biblical and spiritual questions. This week I tackle the question, “Does God see us, is he looking out for us?” Let’s be honest there’s no better song from the 1980’s about “spying” than the song I chose this week.

    The song “Every Breath You Take” was written by Sting and performed by the band The Police. There are so many interviews with Sting about the meaning and context of this song. But to sum it up, here are some of Sting’s thoughts about the song:

1. He wrote the song while he was in the middle of his first marriage falling apart and the start of a new relationship with the person that is now his second wife – and yes, these relationships overlapped. He was torn in emotion and dedication and this song, if you look at it lyrically, can be seen from those two separate points in his life.

2. He knows the song is sinister (stalker like) but didn’t think about it like that when he wrote it. He feels uneasy when people tell him that they danced at their wedding to it. Lol – because as he puts it “It is not a love song”. It is song about wanting to be seen by one person and not wanting to be seen by another.

    But for our reference and spiritual points, we will look at this song from two points of view, just like last week.  The entire song (minus the bridge) we will say is God’s point of view and the bridge is from our human point of view.

Here’s the song’s lyrics

Song: “Every Breath You Take” by the Police (Lyrics by Sting) – Year 1983

Every breath you take

And every move you make

Every bond you break

Every step you take

I’ll be watching you

Every single day

And every word you say

Every game you play

Every night you stay

I’ll be watching you

Oh, can’t you see

You belong to me?

How my poor heart aches

With every step you take

Every move you make

And every vow you break

Every smile you fake

Every claim you stake

I’ll be watching you

 

BRIDGE

Since you’ve been gone, I’ve been lost without a trace

I dream at night, I can only see your face

I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace

I feel so cold and I long for your embrace

I keep crying baby, baby please

 

Oh can’t you see

You belong to me

How my poor heart aches

With every step you take

Every move you make

And every vow you break

Every smile you fake

Every claim you stake

I’ll be watching you

Every move you make

Every step you take

I’ll be watching you

I’ll be watching

 

    Growing up, if my mama ever wanted to scare me into acting “right”, she’d either say “Wait until Tommy get’s home (my stepfather)” or if she really wanted me to squirm “You know Jesus can see you right now”.  That thought stuck in my head always. Whenever I would do something that bothered my conscience, I would think to myself “Jesus is watching”. However, that little voice stopped being heard between the years of 16 through 22.  The thing is, I know, as well as you, that God sees ALL. He knows ALL.

    I think for most of us, we only associated God’s watchful eye with our bad deeds.  The time we yelled at the cashier, the time we engaged in pre-marital relations, the time we stole the mascara from the drugstore, the time we lusted over George Clooney in that movie, etc. God’s watches those things with the same (I mean way better) love that a parent has when they see their child doing something wrong.  As a parent, I have witnessed my child do things that sting me. She has talked to me in a way that is hurtful. She has not always lived her life in line with Jesus. BUT I LOVE HER – NO MATTER WHAT. And that is how we must remind ourselves that God sees us. He sees us with loving, graceful eyes. Do our actions hurt him – YES. Does he love us anyway – YES. Does he still make room for us in heaven – YES (that’s why Jesus was sacrificed – so God could still look at us with love, favor, and grace).

    Keep in mind the next time you yell at a driver that cuts you off, that God is watching you, then forgive yourself and ask for forgiveness. Because God watches all our actions, including: the time you let the woman go in front of you at the store, the time you gave your last $5.00 to a homeless person, the time you spoke gracefully to an irate person – and calmed them down, the time you turned the other cheek and refused to go low. God sees our good things too. He celebrates these things in heaven.  He is our biggest cheerleader. God uses these “good deeds” to be the answer to someone else’s needs.  

    Even if we take out the “us” factor, God must watch us. Whether you know this or not, you are living your life on a gigantic “chess board” called Spiritual Warfare. There is a very active battle going on daily in our lives. Evil isn’t just a word; it is an actual reality. We are living in a world that is fallen, and at the present time, Satan has “dominion” over the world. I don’t mean that he has the total control, because God rules over all, sees all and if you’ve read the bible, he WINS ALL. But for the time being, God has allowed Satan to live in the world. There are demonic spirits and heavenly spirits that work daily to either tempt you to evil and sin or to keep you from evil and sin.  So, as pieces on the chess board, we are watched daily.

    This week’s song, in the lyrics I have chosen to associate with God’s perspective, is for lack of a better word “stalkerish”. Think about these words – from God’s point of view. “Oh, can’t you see, you belong to me, how my poor heart aches, with every step you take, every move you make, and every vow you break, every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I’ll be watching you, every move you make, every step you take, I’ll be watching you.”  We belong to God. God wants nothing more than for us to be with him. When we sin, we cause him heart ache. We break vows, we present our fake self to the world (think social media), and we make false claims, we lie. God sees all things.

    Now the bridge of the song, I have chosen to associate with mankind. Think about these words – from our point of view, a view that is longing to be close to Jesus. “Since you’ve been gone, I’ve been lost without a trace, I dream at night, I can only see your face, I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace, I feel so cold and I long for your embrace, I cry out Jesus please.” I cannot speak for you; I can only speak for myself; I have been here. I have been lost. I have been seeking. I have been in depths of the valley of the shadows of death where the only hope was JESUS. I have cried out Jesus please help me.

    Does God see us, is he looking out for us? Absolutely without a doubt – YES! Yes, he does, yes, he can, yes he will always look on us and look out for us. Even when you are about to drown in whatever is weighing you down, know that God is watching, he may be testing you, trying to get you to cry out “God help me, I can’t do this on my own”. He is always there, and that knowledge is what I have held on to these past few years of constant struggle. I am passed the place of “Why me” and am currently living in a moment of blessed grace. I accept that I may be tested, and that if God tests me, I know that he has great willed expectation and purpose for me.

    So, the next time you do something that is ungraceful, pause - - and look to the sky and smile. Say “my bad, I am so sorry, God please remind me to live with as much grace as I can and remind me that you are always graceful to me.”

    Next week, I will tackle the question, “Fruitful, what is it, what does it mean and how am I to be fruitful”.

    Have a wonderful and blessed week!

 

April 

 

Video of Song (Youtube)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs

 

Look at this clip from the Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers  - it is the Eye of Sauron. It reminds me of the watchful eye and the battle for our soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlsIby_ezNk

 

Verses to go to – when you need reassurance that God is watching you and watching over you.

Genesis 28:15 “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Psalm 121:8 “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Proverbs 15:3 “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.”

Matthew 6:4 “So that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Hebrews 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”