Only God can judge with an eternal perspective

Are things always as they seem?

My sister received an e-mail last month from a couple in her church. This email incident answers this question with a “No.”

The email read:

“We are writing this with tears in our eyes. We brought our family over here to London for a short vacation.

“Unfortunately, we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All our cash and credit cards were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

“We’ve been to the embassy and the police here but they’re not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in few hours from now. We’re having problems settling the hotel bills, and the hotel manager won’t let us leave until we settle the bills.

“Well we really need your financial assistance. Please, let me know if you can help us out.

“We are so scared at the moment!!

“Jenna and Jeffrey”

Susie read the e-mail and then began to think how this couple was going to get out of that terrible predicament. Then a few hours later she received another e-mail:

“Dear Friends,

“Someone hacked into our e-mail account and claimed to be us. Their phony email reported that we had been robbed in London and were unable to come home to the USA. The culprits were asking for money.

“We want to tell you that we are in our home, we never went to London, my husband is at work, and our children are in school. Whoever did this is up to no good.

“Blessing, Jenna and Jeffrey”

On the outside looking in, we may think the situation one way when in reality it is quite another way. A businessman may be respected in the town, but then no one knows the hefty price he pays for less than reputable deals. A young teen may look as though she has not a care in the world; yet insecurities cause her to nearly starve herself for a certain dress or pant size. The high school athlete may be the fastest runner or the best receiver, yet no one knows that when he goes home, he faces an abusive, alcoholic father.

On the other hand, the little woman who lives in a simple dwelling and is on a fixed income may be the one that intercedes in prayer constantly for all those who are sick and in need. The young boy who is just a face in the crowd at school may be the one with the part-time after-school job just to help his widowed mother make ends meet. The man who works 8 to 5 every day with a low-profile job may be the one who volunteers at the local homeless shelter to feed the hungry and spread the Gospel.

We think we see the entire picture by the actions we see in people every day, but in reality, we do not at all. God is the judge and only he can judge with an eternal perspective.

1 Samuel 2:3 reads: “For the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”

No matter how much we might think we can trick God or bargain with him, it will not work. God knows of our deeds and God knows all because he sees all. “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalm 33:13-15)

The good news is that only God holds the proper weights and measures to assess each one of us. The writer of Romans wrote: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Romans 11:33).

As humans we have minuscule tools to discern the ways of God and the judgments of God. But the truth will come out on all of us — our individual motives and thoughts of our hearts — and God will be the one who knows.

By the way, the young couple was worried that their friends might have tried to wire them money. The two were afraid the culprits were richer because of the hacked email. But the truth came out. What the culprits used to try and fool people was the very thing in the end that shut them down.

Judy Brandon writes about faith for The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at: [email protected]