An Audience of One

This morning I read in the Book of Isaiah where an ailing Hezekiah was told by the prophet Isaiah that he would not recover from his sickness. Hezekiah, wrought with despair, says this prayer to God:

"Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in thy sight." Isaiah 38:3

To learn what happens as a result of Hezekiah's prayer, you'll have to read the rest yourself. What struck me here is the prayer. It made me think, what if I prayed for that? What if I prayed to live as if God were the only person I walked before? What if I put all my faith and 100%--not just a portion--of my heart before God and focused as much as possible on what is right in His sight alone?

Think of it this way: what if everybody around us was blind and deaf and the only person who could ever hear what we say, or read what we write, or see what we do, is God? What if we narrowed it down to, as a Christian song so aptly puts it, "an audience of One?" Because God does see and hear everything we do, say and think. It's just that, on our end, we often throw Him into the mix as being just one of many, or as not being around at all. We so easily get distracted and diverted from a faithfulness and total heart commitment to God. We forget that, when all is said and done, God--the only One who matters, observes it all.

This isn't about a guilt trip, or living in fear of a "big brother watching you" type of God. Jesus reconciles us to God through His death on the Cross. We will continue to sin even after accepting Him as Lord and Savior. God will not forsake us even when we fall short. But what if we tried not reacting and responding from the hip, and instead committed to looking to God first in order to "be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).

To me, this is liberating, sobering and convicting all at once! No doubt I have my work cut out for me. I think I'll begin with prayer.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11