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DEVOTION

PROVERBS

FOCUS

Prov 20:12

12 Ears that hear and eyes that see — the LORD has made them both.

NIV

Our eyes and ears may be considered our primary senses as we can perceive most things through them. It would make sense that we should use our ears to hear the word of God and our eyes to see the word of God. Yet we also use our ears to hear other things, words that we should not, such as gossip or vulgar speech. It is true there may be times it is unavoidable to hear somethings, but the idea here is we should eagerly desire to hear the voice of God. Our eyes are all together another thing. With them we see all sorts of visions. We can enjoy the creation of God all around us. We can use them to view things we desire to have. Both our ears and eyes can be used for self-pleasure or seeking God. He has created both of them for our use and this also means as we were created in his image. He who has created ears, hears and he who created eyes, sees.

Ps 94:9

9 Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

NIV

This gives us the assurance God hears our voice. He hears our words of praise and prayer. He hears our words of testimony or witness. But does he hear our ugly words? We also have the assurance that God sees us. He sees our praise or worship. He sees our works, our deeds or service to his kingdom. It would also make sense he sees our ugly works or deeds. Yet because we are in Christ it means God hears and sees us through the blood of Christ. If God were like Orson Wells 1984, Big Brother concept watching our every move, our every word to observe if we did or say one thing out of place and have us scooped up, arrested or reprogrammed with some mind controlling device, our lives in Christ would be miserable. We might be afraid to leave our homes in fear of coming into contact with some temptation and thus sin and be sent to hell as a result. Yes, he hears and sees us. But because we are at peace with God, because he gives us this peace we have nothing to fear from him. The Greek word translated peace throughout the New Testament carries the meaning of the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is. But that does not mean we should use our senses for whatsoever. Let us focus them on God, as he focuses his on us.