Leviticus 14-15
*Psalm 11
Matthew 24
Today, as you are reading this devotional, it’s my birthday which is a little ironic because as I am writing this particular devotion a week before it is released, it’s on the anniversary of my death day (2/14, see my devotional on 2/5/26 for details). It’s an interesting contrast when you consider it. I am alive by the grace of God. Today when I woke up, my wife asked me (as she normally does when she wakes up) “How are you today?” My response was, as it normally is, “I am alive! I’m wonderful, I should be dead but I’m alive. God is good.”.
If you think about it, we should all share that same sentiment: God is good, we exist at all because of His goodness and mercy, we are alive simply because He wills it. There are things you don’t even know about that God probably did to ensure that you woke up today, opened your eyes, and breathed. There are times in your life that you might have died, whether you are aware of them or not, when God saved you and let you live up until right now, today. What a blessing! Sometimes we take that for granted, please take my advice: don’t. Life is precious, and if you are reading this, it’s a gift that God gave you directly because He wanted to. Be grateful. This too shall pass, enjoy it now.
Today we’re going to discuss something weird. It might even be considered controversial and a little disturbing by some, but we’ll draw our conclusions from scripture. We’re going in for a deep dive today, are you ready? Listen: I know that it’s a lot more time consuming, but it will really help your understanding if you look up all of the verses listed today, as we’ll be going to quite a few other scriptures to get a “holistic” understanding. They’ll all be in bold font. Our focus today will be Ps 11, read that in it’s entirety, and then let’s consider Ps 11:4 specifically, which says “Yahweh is in His holy temply; Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.” (LSB).
We all know and understand the “His eyes behold” portion, and know that God sees mankind and gauges our actions (As proof texts read the following and don’t take my word for it: Ps 33:13-15, Ps 14:2, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Prov 15:3, Zech 4:10, Hebrews 13:2, Mal 3:16) it’s a constant theme throughout scripture. God Himself, or His agents, are observing our actions constantly. How else could He rightly judge? The whole earth is His, and everything in it (Ps 24:1). But what does it mean to say “His eyelids test the sons of men”?
Jesus explains in Matt 5:28 that if you sin in your heart, it’s still a sin. James 1:14-15 explains that our hidden desires, when fed, lead to sin and then death. Wrong thinking leads to wrong doing. I can’t speak for you, but I can speak for myself personally and say that even when I have done no physical sin, I constantly struggle internally to be holy. I sin in my heart constantly, and I’m really trying not to. Whether pride, or lust, or envy, or greed. YOU can’t see it, but it’s there, and I’m painfully aware it’s there because for the last couple years I’ve been trying to purify my heart and follow Jesus in every way. Here’s the thing, though: God sees it (1 Sam 16:7), because His eyelids test the sons of men.
Q: How, though? A: In your sleep. Have you ever been asleep and had a dream that you recalled briefly upon waking that involved a moral dilemma, or course of actions that you had to choose between? That was what I call a “dream test”. God tests your heart, almost constantly, many times in dreams or “visions in the night”. Not only that though, but He instructs us as well. You very seldom recall it, but once you start paying attention, you’ll notice more of it. Sound crazy? Check these scriptures out : Job 33: 14-18, Ps 7:9, Ps 16:7, Ps 17:3, Ps 139:1-4, Is 26:9, Jer 17:10, Matt 1:20, Acts 18:9-10, Rev 2:23. My point is this: you can clearly see, through scripture (and scripture cannot be broken) that God not only tests us but instructs us in our sleep. In dreams, in visions of the night.
**As a sidenote Job 33 is my favorite chapter in the bible because it is MY story, and the story of God’s grace and mercy: it was written for and about me. It’s also where I discovered this concept. See Job 33:14-30 if you’re interested.
I think it’s important at this point to note that even if we have a revealing dream, we must always test the spirits to make sure they are from God (1 John 4:1). Since we are engaged in a spiritual war (Eph 6:12) it is absolutely plausible and probable that your enemy may test you as well, or try to divert you. For an example of this read Job 4:12-21 very carefully, consider the source, and recall that later Eliphaz is chastised by God because “you have not spoken of Me what is right” (Job 42:7). This stuff is a little scary, but remember that Yahweh God is “Most High”, and protects us fiercely as a loving Father (Zech 2:8, 2 Thess 3:3).
Your creator, He who formed your heart, knows your heart…better even than you yourself do. This is why David asks God to reveal to him his hidden faults and cleanse them in Ps 19:12; David understands that God knows him better than he knows himself. We are called to not just act right, but to be right. Even in our hearts, where we think no one else can see, because GOD SEES. This is the most challenging thing, for me, because I’ve found that if you’ve immersed yourself in the world you begin to think in worldly terms and it’s hard to change your perspective. We have to be born again (John 3:3, keep your finger here), to repent (change course) and be born of the spirit (John 3:5). THIS IS A REQUIREMENT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD, not an optional career path as a Christian (John 3:7 ok, you can move your finger now).
God is trying to teach us, He is testing us and helping us pass the future tests by giving us instruction and direction when we are sleeping. Sometimes, if we listen closely, He will instruct us when we’re awake (Is 30:21, Ps 32:8). He also speaks to us every time we read the scriptures. The problem isn’t that God isn’t speaking to us, the problem is that (particularly among the distractions of this evil age) we’re not listening hard enough. So what can we do to listen to God better? Well, funny you should ask…
PRACTICAL STEPS TO ACTIVELY LISTEN TO GOD:
- Pray before you sleep, ask God to speak to you.
- Read scripture right before you go to sleep to prepare your heart and your head to listen
- Keep a journal by your bed to write down dreams or messages (Trust me.)
- Expect it: God has been and will continue trying to speak to you. LISTEN.
Reflection Questions
- How many times a day do you hear the voice of God?
- How many times a day do you actively seek to hear the voice of God?
- Do you think there’s a correlation between those two, and how can you increase both?
- Have you ever had a dream and knew that it was from God immediately when you woke up?
- If answer to the question above is “yes”, did you journal it to remind yourself? (Please consider doing so, if you don’t already).
PRAYER
Father God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, please instruct me. Teach me, Lord. Open my ears that I might hear, and open my eyes that I might see. Help me to do your will, to be humble before you, and place You in the rightful spot on the throne of my heart. Grant me wisdom in equal portions to the mercy You grant me daily. Be my shelter, Father, and protect me in this evil time. Please forgive me when I fall short in my heart, and lead me along the path that enters Your kingdom. I thank You and I praise You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Seek Grow Love 