One day some kids were assembled for lunch in the cafeteria of a Christian school. On one table, at the end of the food line, sat a big bucket filled with apples. Taped to the bucket was a staff-written note that read: “Take only one. God is watching.” Just past that table, however, there was another table. This one held a plate of cookies. Beside that plate, on a card that had been placed there by a prankster student, was a note that read: “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.”

Does God really see everything that everybody does all the time all over the world? Yes, He does. That’s one of the advantages of being a Spirit who isn’t confined to a body that has to always be in one place at a time. If we think about it, though, God seeing everything all the time doesn’t have to be a bad thing. To the contrary, it can actually be a good thing.

In 2 Chronicles 16:1-14, we find the story of Asa, the king of Israel’s southern kingdom. Baasha, the king of Israel’s northern kingdom, set himself against Asa by beginning construction on a fortress that would stand at Ramah on the boundary line between the two kingdoms. Once Asa realized what Baasha was doing, Asa should have cried out to God and asked Him to intervene in the situation. Rather than seek God’s help, though, Asa sent gold and silver to Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, in an attempt to create an alliance against Baasha. The bribe worked, and Ben-Hadad sent Syrian forces that struck against several of the cities of Baasha’s kingdom and stopped the building project at Ramah.

In the aftermath of the Syrian victories against his rival Baasha, Asa was riding high until a man of God named Hanani came to see him. Hanani was a seer/prophet, and he delivered a devastating rebuke to Asa for trusting in the Syrians rather than in God for help. As part of that rebuke, Hanani said:

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9, N.K.J.V.)

And how did Asa respond to that rebuke? He threw Hanani into prison. Welcome to the ministry! What Asa couldn’t imprison, though, was the word that God had delivered through Hanani. That meant that the remaining years of Asa’s reign would be plagued by trouble. In particular, three years later he was struck with a severe disease in his feet (2 Chronicles 16:12). Sadly, as evidence that he still hadn’t learned his lesson about trusting in God rather than in outside sources, he called in his physicians rather than praying to God. Two years later he was dead (2 Chronicles 16:13). One theory is that he died from gangrene complications in his feet.

But let’s not focus on the negative part of Hanani’s word to Asa. Instead, let’s focus on the positive part. That’s the part that says God’s eyes are constantly scouring the earth in search of people whose hearts are loyal to Him, and whenever He finds such a heart, He shows Himself strong on that person’s behalf. Do you know who that is good news for? You guessed it, the person whose heart is loyal to God.

So, tell me, does this description fit you? If it does, then you have a legitimate right to expect God to show Himself strong on your behalf. We’re not talking about mere wishful thinking here. No, we’re talking about a Bible promise! I don’t know how this promise will manifest itself in your life, but I do know that you’ll definitely be helped by it. After all, God showing Himself STRONG on your behalf has to make some blessed differences. Remember, though, that those differences only come to those who trust in the Lord rather than in other sources.