ACCOUNTABILITY 101: GOD IS WATCHING

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does he not see my ways and count my every step?”

“If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit — let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless — if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.”

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest.”

“If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?”

“If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless — but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth I guided the widow — if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.”

“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.”

“If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him — I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life — if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’ — but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler — if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside — (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler. ) — “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Job 31:1-40

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

From the early years of life, we are taught a sense of right and wrong. As little tikes first crawl and then walk to experience the world around them they are constantly given indicators by those caring for them. Good behavior is rewarded while bad behavior is discouraged. And before long, children learn that they are being watched and thus become wary of what they are doing when under observation, often refraining from bad behavior when they know they could be caught. Conversely, they also know that once out of the watchful eye of their caregiver, they can do anything they want just as long as they don’t get caught. Such is the insidious nature of sinfulness and it starts to take root in us when we are in our earliest stages, growing stronger and more pervasive as we grow older.

We need accountability in order to stay on the path of righteousness that God intends for us to travel. We need to be under surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days of week.

Thanks be to God that in His perfect way He has established such an accountability for His creation. And this accountability system doesn’t require an intricate, sophisticated worldwide network of high tech spy cameras and listening devices. Nor does it rely on human monitoring which could be easily compromised or influenced.

No, this accountability system is simple and flawless. For it begins and ends with God Himself.

As we read through Chapter 31 of Job and read the final words from his discourse, we are reminded of the fact that God does monitor our lives, seeing every deed, hearing every word, and reading every thought. Look at Job’s words:

“For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does he not see my ways and count my every step?”

Job knew and we had better know as well that God sees all our ways and every step we take. Nothing is hidden from Him. Nothing.

And if the fear of the Lord is wisdom, then a wise person keeps himself in check by always knowing God is watching and will discipline by His power and might if we choose to still sin in His sight.

This is why Job took steps in his life to ensure he remained in good favor with God – steps that kept him on the path of righteousness. We should follow his lead. Consider these specific matters mentioned:

1. “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”

Jesus would later assimilate lust with adultery, asserting that looking lustfully at a woman means a man has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Job was married and aware that he was to give all his devotion to the woman he had committed himself to. And he knew God would see every glance he made, lustful or not, and hold him accountable for any sinful behavior.

2. “If my heart has been enticed by a woman”

Adultery used to only be seen as physical in nature. A husband or wife would be out and away from their mate, and then choose to have sex with someone else. Today with the internet being such an integral part of our lives, adultery can be committed anywhere virtually. And often it is done within the home where their spouse abides, even when he or she is home. The temptation of sexual sin is one of the most prevalent afflicting mankind today. This is why it is so important to deal with the root symptom of lust first. Eliminate lustfulness and we can keep ourselves from falling prey to more severe sexual sin. Knowing God is watching our eyes and searching our hearts, ready to hold us accountable, is critical to keeping us in check.  

3. “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit”

Telling a lie might be the easiest thing to get away with when it comes to sin and some people are so good at it that they become masters of deception, often with devastating results. How many marriages have been ruined by infidelity or financial nest eggs decimated by dishonest people who duped those who trusted them. God would want us to remember that He cannot be deceived and He sees the evil that is within us before we even act on it.

4. “If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled”

Walking off the narrow path of righteousness God wants to lead us down will only bring us trouble and eventually destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). If we think no one is watching, we might feel we can detour off the narrow path occasionally to partake of the world’s sinful temptations that lie along the broader path. This is why God has to watch us persistently and consistently, keeping us accountable. There can be no wiggle room for sin to control our behavior.

5. “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it - if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep.”

There’s little doubt in the scriptures that we are to do everything we can to make a difference in the lives of those in need. Jesus, our Savior, told us that whatever we do for the least of His children is as if we are doing it unto Him (Matthew 25:40). And so how well do we use the blessings that God has provided us? Are we good stewards of His provisions, using what we have to do unto the least of these? Or are we more committed to our own gain, padding our bank accounts without charity to others? God watches what we do and will judge us according to the way we use what He has given us, good and bad.

6. “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained.”

It has been said that we should be cautious about what we possess because if we’re not, those possessions might just possess us. Indeed, there are no shortage of examples of people who became so captivated by wealth and riches that they worshiped those possessions above God Himself, placing their full trust in their ledgers and bank accounts over the One who provided them. Such apostasy will not be favored by God as He expects us to reciprocate the faithfulness He shows us. It’s little wonder Jesus proclaimed, “You cannot serve both God and money (Luke 16:13). “

7. “If I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage.”

In the days of Job, people worshiped all kinds of things. This is why the Israelites constantly found themselves out of favor with their Lord and Master. Despite God telling them (and us) that they were to never have any other gods before them except Him, the people still fell prey to worshiping false gods and idols which included sun and moon worship. Today, there are still many options on the worship buffet menu but only one brings us the nourishment of proper righteous living and spiritual health. That option has been and always will be God who is watching what we select as we decide who and how we’ll worship.

8. “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him — I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life.”

Love your enemies. That’s what Jesus told us to do (Luke 6:27). We are to turn the other cheek and not resist one who would do evil to us (Matthew 5:39). Satan on the other hands would have us follow the eye for an eye approach. If someone does unto you, give it right back to them – wound for wound, blow for blow, curse for curse – and we’re so often quick to oblige instead of allowing God to be the judge and issuer of consequence. Maybe it would help us if we remembered He was witnessing everything that was happening in our lives – that He wasn’t just seeing what we were doing but what others were doing as well. Remember, no one escapes His sight. Perhaps then we would trust God and allow Him to take matters into His own hands and handle situations in His perfect way.

Friends, God is watching us and our ways, counting our steps and making note of any sinful behavior. Know and trust that He will hold you and me accountable. It would be easier to just allow Him to lead and guide us in Spirit and in truth every second of every minute of every hour of every day.

God is with us and He can either be for us or against us. The choice is ours as to what we opt for.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com