Today's Worship: God keeps an accounting.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 7:1b-2,

 

"They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets; but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me."

 

Here is a sobering thought: God keeps a very accurate account of things. He tells Israel that their sins are always before him.

 

The accounting of God for all we think, do and say is pretty startling and unsettling to think of. God does keep his books. In Revelation 3:5; 13:8 and 17:8 we read about his book of life where all who will inherit eternal life in the resurrection have their names written. We read of other "books" on judgment day that will be opened, where the deeds of those who will be judged are recorded. There the book of life is mentioned as well, Revelation 20:12. We are told that all whose names are not written in the book of life will be thrown into the "lake of fire". Revelation 20:15. In Revelation 21:27, the book of life is called "the Lamb's book of life" indicating this book belongs to Jesus Christ.

 

A strict accounting of things is maintained by our Creator. Just as the sins of Israel were before God, so also the sins of every person in the whole world are recorded. Every sin in thought, word or deed. In 1 Corinthians 4:5 we read that even our motives are kept track of. None of it will be hidden from God, Hebrews 4:13, "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." 

 

However, we are told that God is loving and merciful. He will forgive and forget our sins and enter our names in the Lamb's book of life if we embrace him in faith. As we read in the announcement of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34, "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

 

I can't think of anything better than that!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com