Under Constant Surveillance

Do you ever feel as if your every move is being watched? As a kid, no matter how hard I tried to sneak around, my parents always seemed to have “eyes in the back of their heads.” When our daughters were looking for colleges, one of the reasons they did not want to attend the college in the small town we lived in is because I had relationships with many of the administrators at that college and the girls were convinced that every move they made would be reported back to us. That wouldn’t have been the case, but I get it.

J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime Director of the FBI, is well known to have compiled confidential files on a great many Americans, much of which exceeded the jurisdiction of the FBI. For those in Hoover’s crosshairs, every move was surveilled and recorded, often to be used as blackmail. Today, with the rise of cell phone cameras and recording capabilities, what used to be “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is now viewed by millions on social media. Seemingly, these days, on every street corner and in every building, there is a security camera, recording every move of those within the camera’s range.

Many people feel like every move they make is scrutinized. I once worked for a company where the boss seemed to know how many times that I left my desk or went to the bathroom. I believe that most people like to feel as if they are seen, but not to the point where they have no privacy. Robyn and I enjoy spending time with each other but we also at certain times just need our own space, not having our every move monitored and inspected. None of us likes to be watched every minute of every day. We like some level of privacy. Usually when someone is under constant surveillance it is not for their benefit, but rather, for the purpose of catching them in some act; to be able to them say “Aha, I caught you!”

We have a God who watches over us every minute of every day, constant surveillance if you will, not to “catch us,” but instead, to help us. We are never out of His sight. He keeps watchful eye on us to guide us, protect us, correct us, all done in the name of love.

Psalm 139 is a beautiful reminder of God’s perfect knowledge of every man, woman and child. It begins with these words – “You have searched me, LORD, and know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, you lay your hand upon me” (vv.1-5).

The psalm goes on to tell us that God created us and knitted us in our mother’s womb. He knew us and was with us even before we were born, and that today, wherever we are, He is. David, the writer of this psalm, pleads with God to never leave him. He ends the psalm with these words – “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

So, today, in a world of constant and often invasive surveillance, be thankful that we have a God, a Loving Father, who knows your every move, your every struggle, your every need, and who says to you – where you are, I am also, trust in Me!