His Window in All Our Hearts
To live a holy life, we must have a serious apprehension of God's presence and remember that His omniscient eye sees all.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the profound impact of God's omniscient presence on our lives, illustrating how awareness of God's watchful eye can elevate our pursuit of holiness. He draws parallels between the diligence of a student under a teacher's gaze and the believer's conduct when recognizing God's constant observation. Brooks urges that a serious acknowledgment of God's presence should inspire us to strive for higher degrees of holiness, as we cannot deceive the all-seeing God. He concludes that if the awareness of God's scrutiny does not motivate us, nothing else will.
Text
"Does He not see my ways and number all my steps?"
Job 31:4
The eye of God had so strong an influence upon Job's
heart and life, that it wrought him up to a very high
pitch of holiness. The scholar writes most exactly while
his teacher's eye is upon him; and the child walks most
exactly while his father's eye is upon him; and the servant
works most exactly while his master's eye is upon him;
and so certainly all the sons and servants of the most
high God do hear most exactly, and pray most exactly,
and walk most exactly--when they see themselves as
in the presence of the great God--who is all sight, who
is all eye!
Ah friends! as ever you would be high in holiness, have
a serious apprehension of God's presence; set yourselves
daily as in His sight, as under His eye. Remember, though
a man may easily baffle his conscience, and deceive the
world--yet he shall never be able to baffle or deceive
God's omniscient eye! God has His window in all our
hearts, and exactly and narrowly observes all that is
done within us, and all that is done by us!
If the serious consideration of His sharp, piercing,
all-seeing eye will not influence us to labor after the
highest degrees of holiness, I know not what will.
"I have kept Your precepts and decrees, for all
my ways are before You." Psalm 119:168
Sermon Outline
- The Influence of God's Eye
- The Importance of a Serious Apprehension of God's Presence
- The Consequences of Ignoring God's Presence
- We cannot deceive God's eye
- God sees all that is done within us and by us
Key Quotes
“Does He not see my ways and number all my steps?” — Thomas Brooks
“God has His window in all our hearts, and exactly and narrowly observes all that is done within us, and all that is done by us!” — Thomas Brooks
“I have kept Your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before You.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Set yourself daily as in God's sight to labor after the highest degrees of holiness.
- Remember that God's omniscient eye sees all that is done within you and by you.
- Keep God's precepts and decrees by remembering that all your ways are before Him.