you We should learn a lesson from
the old heathen artist, J.R. Miller, Daily Bible Readings
in the Life of Christ, 1890. In the days of King Herod of
Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. Both of them were upright in
the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations
blamelessly. Luke 1, 5 and 6. This is a beautiful
thing which God said of them. Yet, after all, that is the test
which every life must endure. It is not enough to have human
commendation. The question is, how do we stand
before God? How does our life appear to Him? It does not matter how men praise
and commend us, if God sees that we are living wrong. The Pharisees
were righteous before men, but if you see how they stood in
God's eye, read the twenty-third chapter of Matthew. You snakes,
you brood of vipers, how will you escape being condemned to
hell? We are in reality just what we
are before God, nothing less, nothing more. The question we
should always ask ourselves is, what does God think of me? If
we would meet His approval, we must first have our hearts right,
and then we must be blameless and upright in every part of
our life. One of the old heathen artists
was chiseling the back part of his marble statue with great
pains. Why do you carve the tresses
on the back of the head of your statue so carefully? asked one. It will stand high in its niche
against the wall, and no one will ever see its back. The gods
will see it, was the reply. We should learn a lesson from
the old heathen artist. We should do our work just as
honestly, where it will be covered up and never seen by human eyes,
as where it is to be open to the scrutiny of the world. For
God will see it. We should live just as purely
and beautifully in secret as in the glare of the world's gaze. There really is no such thing
as secrecy in this world. We imagine that no eye is looking
when we are not in the presence of men. But really, we always
have a spectator. We are living all our life in
the presence of God Himself. We should train ourselves, therefore,
to live for the divine eye in all that we do, that our life
may stand the divine inspection, and that we may have the approval
and commendation of God Himself. Nothing in all creation is hidden
from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid
bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4.13