No Place to Hide

Psalms 139 says that God sees us wherever we are, and the Psalmist goes on to list remote and obscure places where he will find us if we try to hide.

Last Sunday the Sunday school teacher reported that when he was a boy, he felt a little more private in a two-story house because he thought that God's vision might not penetrate through the second story floor as well as the roof.  And he knew he had done things he didn't want God seeing.  One preacher of my acquaintance said when he was a boy, he really hated the old gospel song "There's an All-seeing Eye Watching You."

When we make choices about our behavior, is the matter of privacy the deciding factor?  If I could commit a sin and nobody would know, would it matter?  Psalms 139 and other Bible references say that we cannot escape the view of God.  How much does the fact that God sees me and knows my heart and intent influence my actions?  If that knowledge prevents me from entering into sin, I am blessed.  I still have temptation pulling at us if I secretly yearn to commit an act that only the risk of exposure prevents.

I think there was a time when I thought the Christian life got easier after a while, but I was wrong.  With every victory, I move to harder challenge.  Wouldn't you think I would have figured that out by now?