Our Almighty God sees us wherever we are, whatever we do.
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Tumbling loaf of bread
"“Though they dig into hell, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down; And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I will search and take them; Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them; Though they go into captivity before their enemies, From there I will command the sword, And it shall slay them. I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.”"
Amos 9:2-4 NKJV
The message from the first few verses of today's chapter is clear: When God's final punishment comes, there is no escape. No matter how high up we go, or how deep we hide, God will find us there and punish us. His eyes are set on us for our sins (Amos 9:8), for harm and not for good (Amos 9:4).
"“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord."
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NKJV
This is echoed by prophet Jeremiah. God condemns the false prophets who thought they could get away with their hypocrisy. But God is omnipresent, filling heaven and earth. He is at hand and not afar off. No evil that we do can be hidden from Him.
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me."
Psalms 139:7-10 NKJV
However, Amos 9:1-4 remind us of Psalm 139:7-10. Psalm 139 paints the omnipresence of God in a much more positive light: No matter where we are at, God is present and His hand still leads us. His right hand still holds us.
"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”"
1 Peter 3:12 NKJV
Just like how the eyes of the Lord are set on those who do evil, His eyes are also on the righteous. What does this mean for us today? This means that He watches over us, making sure that we are okay. He listens to our every prayer, comforting and consoling us.
The key is for us to be righteous, striving to lead a life in accordance to the standard of God as made known to us in the Bible. If we despise or down-play the importance of the teachings that we read in the Scriptures or hear in sermons, then just like the Israelites in the Old Testament, God's eyes will be set on us for evil and not for good.
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good."
Proverbs 15:3 NKJV
May we always remember that our Almighty God is an omnipresent God. This serves as a warning that we cannot hide and escape from His judgment, but at the same time an encouragement that He will continue to guide us.
"Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?”"
Genesis 16:13 NKJV