Recovery Devotional 305 Who Has Oversight?

JMD Devotional 305 2 Chronicles 27:6 Who Has Oversight?

So Jotham grew mighty, for he ordered his ways in the sight of the Lord his God.

Generations earlier, King Saul disobeyed the direct orders of God because he feared the ‘people’, and obeyed their voice. God’s censure through Samuel began, “When you were small in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17)

It matters greatly to whom we give oversight of our lives. King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 4, sees himself as a god, and while beholding the works of his own ‘oversight’ is struck dumb like an animal for not acknowledging the true God. Our performance is different when we especially care about pleasing someone watching us, as before an audience. Blinding stage lights may obscure the audience from the eyes of one on stage; but there is no comparison between practicing in an empty room and the electricity of opening night. There may be many watching, but only a few skilled in the technical issues; in the play of life there is only one qualified Judge. When young Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, he was admonished by God not to be afraid of their eyes or dismayed by the faces of those he spoke to; God was with him, God had oversight.

Dear God,

I sometimes imagine myself alone in the desert, under a scorching sun, not under God. I sometimes behave as if You and all the assembly of Heaven were looking the other way or taking an intermission while I sin. I sometimes see You as a critic rather than as my loving Father whom I yearn to please. Sometimes my heart is far from my performance. I need a break, I need to regroup, I need to regain a godly perspective on this life that I live before You. I acknowledge Your oversight, Your exclusive right to judge, Your monopoly on life and Your inherent goodness. Help me to accept Your terms and my situation; and may Your holy influence bring out my best performance.

Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by

the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

*New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

I originally produced these blogs between 2006 and 2007, which were then published in my book, JMD Recovery Devotionals. In 2010, I am sending these out to a few people as I review them and see if my point of view has changed.

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