"Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See"

      Remember the song that children learn in Sunday School?  It goes:  "Oh be careful little eyes what you see.  Oh be careful little eyes what you see.  There's a Father up above And He's looking down in love, So be careful little eyes what you see."  Then it proceeds to remind children to be careful what they hear, what their hands do, where their feet go and what their mouth says.  This isn't just for children though.  We, as adults, need this reminder, too, every day.  

 

   Throughout God's Word, we are admonished to be cautious how we use our senses.  Psalm 101:3 tells us:  "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me."  When we allow our eyes or ears to guide us, we can get into a lot of trouble.  Just remember what happened to Adam and Eve.  She was beguiled by the Serpent as he told her how beautiful the fruit of the tree was and how good it would be to eat.  What her eyes saw and what her ears heard seemed good to her so she ate of the fruit that was forbidden by God.  How easy it is for us to get sidetracked in this world.  There are so many interesting things for us to explore, but are all of them good for us?  Do they bring us closer to God or create anxiety within our heart? 

     Our Savior warned His disciples to be careful as the last days approach and since He has not yet returned for His church, we need to pay attention to these instructions:  “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:4-14).  Think about what the Lord is saying to us.  Are there not rumors in abundance today?  What about false prophets and others who proclaim to be Messiah?  We must be on guard in order to be fully ready for the onslaught of Satan.

     There has never been such a time that I can recall so much hatred and animosity in abundance in our once civil society.  The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, wrote these words in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:  "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."  This is a clear warning isn't it?  These are all symptoms of a society without God.

     Therefore, it is imperative for those of us who believe to be careful what we read and take to heart.  Does it line up with God's Word which is our foundation for truth?  Likewise, who are we listening to?  Is what this person saying really true and factual?  We must remember that Satan is a deceiver and the Father of lies, and God is truth.  This is why it is critical to dig and research before believing something we have read or heard.  God leads us; Satan pushes us.  God gives us peace; Satan gives us anxiety.  God has given us a spirit of love and power and a sound mind while Satan gives us a spirit of fear.

     As we see events unfold in our country or around the world, let us be certain to look to God who is sovereign over the affairs of men.  His Word will not pass away, and it offers us truth in a world that is fallen.  Our answers do not come from our senses but from God.  I close with this:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." (Proverbs 3:5-6)  Let this be our verse as we walk in this uncertain world.  Selah!