THE FATHER UP ABOVE
THE FATHER UP ABOVE
There are certain songs we learn as children that seem to stay with us throughout our lives. One of those is the familiar little song that reminds us to be careful about what our eyes see, what our ears hear, what our mouths say, where our feet go, and what our hands do. And after each reminder comes that beautiful refrain about our Father up above looking down with love. I wonder, however, if we have ever stopped to consider just how much biblical truth is contained in those simple words.
Solomon reminds us, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). There is certainly a warning in that passage because nothing escapes the attention of God. Our actions, our words, and even the intentions of our hearts are not foreign to Him. In fact, He knows them in greater detail than we can imagine. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us that nothing is hidden from His sight. But brethren, I wonder if we sometimes become so concerned with the warning that we overlook the wonderful encouragement of knowing that God sees both good and evil.
When we are careful about what our eyes behold, we are protecting our hearts from influences that could lead us away from God. David declared, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" (Psalm 101:3). When we guard what our ears receive, we recognize the importance of listening to things that strengthen our faith rather than weaken it. Jesus warned, "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Luke 8:18). Likewise, the apostle Paul says that our words ought to encourage and strengthen those around us (Ephesians 4:29).
And what about our feet and hands? The psalmist reminds us that God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). Our hands should be instruments of service, helping those in need and demonstrating the love of Christ (Galatians 6:10). Every day provides us with more opportunities to honor God through the choices we make, where we go, and what we do. Many of those choices will never be noticed by anyone else, but God sees.
But that brings us to something I especially want us to remember. God sees the parent who patiently teaches a child, the Christian who quietly encourages a struggling brother, and the kindness extended without expecting anything in return. He sees the temptation resisted when nobody else is watching, the burden carried without complaint, and the prayer offered in those quiet moments when no one is around. Jesus reminds us that our Father sees what is done in secret (Matthew 6:4, 6), and Hebrews 6:10 assures us that God will not forget our work and labor of love.
Brethren, we should certainly be mindful of how we live because God is watching. But we should also find tremendous comfort in knowing that our faithful service, however small or unnoticed it may seem, is never hidden from Him. What a wonderful reason to be careful how we live, and what a beautiful encouragement to continue faithfully serving Him!
Perhaps that little childhood song still has something important to teach us, even now. “O be careful, little hands, what you do… For the Father up above is looking down with love, so be careful, little hands, what you do.”
~ Casey Clement