6-5-20
GOD IS WATCHING
By Jerry Baysinger
Last week I wrote about “judgment is coming”. We have a tendency to want to execute that judgment ourselves against those who do us wrong. Now with all the rioting and looting that is going on in our country this last week due to the criminal element looking for any excuse to do their thing, we who love the LORD are caught in the middle. When criminals loot and burn in your city, should you just “turn the other cheek” and let them destroy all you’ve worked for, or should you defend your possessions? Our flesh says destroy those who are trying to destroy you. We have every legal right to defend ourselves. We have laws in place to deal with looters, but first you must catch them.


With all the surveillance equipment in place, catching the criminals is much easier than in years past. And once they are caught, there are crooked lawyers abounding to get them off, trying to convince the courts that the criminals are indeed the victims. And so with no real deterrence against crime, nor fear of punishment, lawlessness is on the increase. You can see it when you drive every day. Does anyone obey the speed limit? Very few. And those who do are in danger of being run off the road by those who aren’t. Is there any justice anymore? It depends where you are looking.

It is written in Proverbs 5:21-23,
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
What does that tell you? Use prudence to defend your family and goods, and leave the rest up to God. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:9-21,
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Apostle Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13,
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. note
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Yes, I know this goes against all that is in us when evil comes to kick our door down. But we serve a God that is bigger than evil. He says HE will repay, so we must let Him do it His way, and not get in His way. Our tendency is to listen to our flesh, but in this time we are presently in, we MUST listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Social media is doing nothing more than inciting “us against them”. Let’s not play their game. Indeed, the Bible tells us this is what happens in the end times. But we must remember how God brought Israel out of Egypt, judging Egypt with many plagues and punishment before bringing Israel out free, and even sent them out of Egypt with MUCH gold. God has a better plan than we have.

Defending your family and goods is one thing, but taking vengeance upon those doing evil is NOT our job. That is GOD’S job, and we must not forget that. If we want God to protect us and our families, we must commit our ways entirely to Him. What is the one thing you notice is missing right now? All this has taken our attention from the need for God’s people to be preaching the Gospel and winning souls for His Kingdom. This is a diversion from the devil. He wants us to get our eyes upon OURSELVES and off of the job we have of doing God’s work. God knows what’s going on. He is watching how we, as His children, are responding to all this.

If we are indeed God’s children, then we need to be acting like our heavenly Father would have us to. It says in Genesis 1 that God created mankind in HIS image and in HIS likeness. Right now, I’m not seeing a lot of resemblance between mankind and our heavenly Father. I think if we keep in mind “GOD IS WATCHING”, we will be in a better place to respond as the Holy Spirit would have us to, and glorify Him. Amen?