This story first appeared as a guest post on Devotional Treasures.
The other day I stopped at a local station to gas up my car. As I milled around, I noticed two signs that puzzled me. Near the window washing station a small placard read, “We prosecute ALL theft, such as drive offs and credit card fraud. Every transaction and all tag numbers are recorded.” On the gas pump itself, not three feet away, was a sticker: “No need to prepay. We trust you.“
If they trust me then why are they watching my every move? Maybe it’s because they ARE watching my every move. In other words, the folks at the gas station inspect what they expect. They are not alone.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 (NIV)
The Lord gives us free will, not free rein. Full accountability is a given. Remember what happened after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit? They heard God walking through the garden and hid from Him. But He called out to them, “Where are you?“
Here we have an early example of the leadership style later to be called “Management by Wandering Around.” God already knew what happened, and He insisted on coming down for a personal visit. One-on-one with THE BOSS, this is described elsewhere in the Bible:
So, then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
Romans 14:13 (NIV)
To be clear, I don’t think this means eternal damnation for every Chrisitian who messes up. We ALL mess up (Romans 3:23). No, this inspection of what is expected is more like Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25.
As the story goes, the master entrusts three of his servants with his property–each to his own ability–and leaves for a long trip. When he returns, two of them have doubled his money, but one is extra cautious and does nothing with it. After all, THE BOSS can be a demanding guy.
The master (God) praises the first two servants but criticizes the third with these words, “You bad and lazy servant!”–Matthew 25:26a (GNT)
Kind reader, each of us will answer to God one day for all we’ve done with the light He has given us. Yes, it’s a sobering thought, but one we should heed.
🙏❤️ prayers and love.
Davids Daily Dose 
Comments
24 responses to “The Inspection”
Thank you, Jo!
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Thank you, Tina. I hope I am a truthful witness. Blessings!
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Well done David. 🙂
“A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.” (Proverbs 14:25)
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That’s funny, Pete! Thanks for stopping by.
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Your funny gas station sign reminds me of the one in a coffee shop I went to that said. “In God we trust….All others pay cash!”
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Agreed, Nancy! We could never pass on our own merit. Thank you for your input. God Bless.
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It is only because I’ll be wearing CHRIST’S robe of righteousness that I’ll pass The Inspection (Isaiah 61:10)!
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Amen! Thank you, Bridget. God Bless!
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Great post! And a great reminder to walk a straight line. I know we will all mess up. But I pray we can stay in tune with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead our steps.
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That’s a great scripture to go along with this post. Thank you for sharing, tamweary. God Bless you too!
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Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:16) God Bless You, David!
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Enjoyed reading this again David 🙂
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Enjoyed this (both times)
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He has given us free will but not free reign- I like that David. And a necessary reminder that we do give an account to the Lord, so what are we doing with what he has entrusted to us.
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Right! I often joke with our pastor that there will be no need for preaching in heaven. I’m certain, however, there are many coffee shops. And the gourmet Java is free!
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I recognize your approach well, Gary. My dad was the master of the “trust, but verify approach.” This led to some head butting with him when I was a teen, but later I thanked him. I’m glad your shared your thoughts. Thank you!
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We have the treasure of the gospel and only while in our earthly bodies can we share it. In heaven no one needs to hear it
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I like your illustration a lot David. It’s the same conversation I have with the grandkids over the bowl full of candy. I tell them I trust them to only take 2 pieces of candy, but I will know if they take more and they wont get any for the next couple visits…Then we talk about why I say that and how God says that to us as well. My goal is to make them struggle with the concept enough to ask questions and see where those little minds are at.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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“The Lord gives us free will, not free rein.” This is such a helpful statement. Thank you for another thought-provoking post.
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Thank you, brother. I pray the Lord will keep leading you and bless your writing as well.
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Excellent post first time and second time around David! May our Father God keep leading you in all you write for Him, and may He bless you richly!
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Wow! Tag, you’re it, brother. 😊
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I had just quoted that we will all give account one day in response to your comment on my post! I love that you pointed out God gives us free will, not free reign. Thanks!
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