Our God is omnipresent. He is everywhere simultaneously. He is ever-present, and in addition, He is omnipotent — all-powerful — and omniscient — all-knowing. There is no situation or place hidden from Him. He sees all and knows all. That is why His judgments are true altogether (Psalm 19:9). Because He sees all things, even the secrets in your heart that no one else sees or knows, He will not, like man, be unjust in His judgment.
You cannot hide anything from Him.
Sometimes, when we see repercussions that come upon an individual, we tend to believe, though secretly in our hearts, that God has not judged well. We forget that human nature is so deceitful that it only presents what it wants you to see. Moreover, a person’s heart is not open to you, so you do not know the wickedness that may be operating there.
In 2 Chronicles 25:1–2, Amaziah, the son of Joash, became king after the death of his father at the age of twenty-five, and his reign lasted twenty-five years. In verse 2, the Bible says he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. If human beings were to score Amaziah, he did well. He passed. His name might even have been written among the country’s most successful kings. You see, all we can see as humans is what is displayed before us. But God measures what is in the heart.
You can deceive man, but you cannot deceive God. He does not judge based on outward show or appearance. As long as you continue to present a deceptive front, you will find it difficult to see God move in your life. God is not deceived. You may gather all evidence, and anyone who hears you may believe you are right and that you have been treated unfairly. But the One who sees all things will always give you according to what you have sown, not according to what you want.
What is your motive?
This brings me to another attribute of God: He is a rewarder. He will reward you according to your deeds. What are you doing? What occupies your life? He rewards those who seek Him, who live for Him, and who obey His Word.
This is not merely about going to church, singing in the choir, or cleaning the house of God. All these activities are fruitless if your motive or the state of your heart is not right. It is possible to do good like Amaziah, but if your heart is not right, God will not reward you according to what you desire, but according to the hidden intentions of your heart.
1 Corinthians 13:1–3 makes this very clear. Yes, you can engage in spiritual gymnastics and speak in the tongues of men and angels, but without love, you are only making noise. You may prophesy mightily, understand mysteries, possess knowledge, and have faith that can move mountains, but without love, you have failed the test. Even if you give all you have to the poor and the less privileged, it does not move God if it is not done in love.
Examine yourself and the activities you are involved in. Are they done so that people may see how rich or powerful you are? Is it so that men will believe you are giving back to society, while love is absent from your heart? This does not move God. He sees your intentions and will reward you according to them.
Beloved, cleanse your heart. Prune your intentions. The human nature within you will always want to display pride and arrogance, deal with it. Evil thoughts and the gratification of the flesh will always try to rear their ugly heads in your heart, but bring them into subjection to the Word of God. Yes, you cannot stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can certainly prevent it from building a nest in your hair.
Bring every thought into obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
You are a mere human formed from dust. If not for God’s breath of life, you would be no different from other created things. All that you have has been given to you. See it as a privilege, not as proof that you are greater or more knowledgeable than others. There are people better and more knowledgeable than you who do not have the opportunities you have. If not for God, your situation might have been worse.
Our God sees and rewards according to His perfect knowledge. You cannot hide from Him. You may deceive men with sweet words, vast knowledge, innocent looks, and a gentle outward disposition, but not God. He sees, and He rewards accordingly.
It is well.