Surveillance.

"Character is what you are in the dark."

-D. L. Moody

"A man's character, like rich topsoil, can erode so gradually you don't notice till it's gone."

-Country Parson

"The way to find out about one man, I have often found, is to ask him about another."

-Gerald Fay

"A man's character is like a fence--it cannot be strengthened by whitewash."

-Meggido Message

"God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually."

-Paul W. Powell

"For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes."

-Proverbs 5:21

I can't hide anything from God! He knows everything there is to know about everything there is to know. He knows more about me than I do. He knows my past, he knows my present, and he knows my future. God knows! My ways are before the eyes of the Almighty God!

Now I can't do anything about the paths of the past but I certainly can do something about what God sees in the days and years ahead. What I see will affect my walk in the future. It will also affect my thoughts, my goals, my dreams, my creativity, what I say, what I hear, what I see . . . everything.

I heard about a little guy in Sunday School who one Sunday sang one of the old choruses but reversed two of the words. The words should have been, "Jesus loves me this I know." The little guy sang out for all to hear, "Jesus knows me this I love." Musically, or at least verbally, the words he sang are incorrect. Theologically, that boy hit a grand slam home run. "For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes."

Years ago, a guy named Allen Funt created and hosted the TV show, "Candid Camera". The show was an immediate success and ran on TV for decades. Reruns are still being shown today. The show starred unsuspecting people who had been set up by Funt and his camera crews and were filmed in humorous situations. I remember many times thinking, "I'm glad that's not me."

Have you noticed how we have become more and more the targets of video and surveillance cameras? Friends and family video one another in hopes of picking up some extra cash on shows like, "America's Funniest Home Videos." There's even a funny video show about our pets!

Shows like "Cops" are based and built on video cameras located in law enforcement vehicles. They are part of the reality shows being watched by millions today. You can also watch cars being repossessed, families being restored through counseling, children and parents being disciplined, children being mistreated in child-care facilities, people being given medical care in emergency rooms, and the list goes on and on.

Today we are on video more than we could ever think and probably more than we would ever desire. We star in videos while making transactions at our banks (inside or outside), filling our gas tanks, buying food at the local stores, driving through busy intersections in town, getting prescriptions filled at the pharmacy, working at our jobs, being pursued by law enforcement, and even what happens should you decide to outrun the law! If you decide not to pull over you will most likely be featured in an entirely different series!

I'm not sure how all that video stuff works in eternity. I don't even understand it here. If we have to watch it all in heaven I will be one of the most embarrassed. I'm not even sure how God does all that but I do believe he knows. Psalm 119:168 David wrote, "Yes, I obey your commandments and decrees, because you know everything I do." Looks to me like the key is obedience. Hey, we can't do a thing about our past videos but we sure can make certain that our future videos get "G" ratings. Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Smile, you're on candid camera.