Apple of His Eye
What is an apple in someone’s eye? Hi there, I am pastor Tim and I serve here at the Moss Bluff Vineyard as the Senior lead. Let’s take a deep dive into just what that really means.
David king of Israel made this statement…
Ps 17:8 NKJV - Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
I am sure you have heard the phrase “terms of endearment”? It was popularized in 1983 with the movie by the same name starring Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger. The movie dealt with a mother daughter relationship over a lifespan through all its ups and downs and the unique way that their “terms of endearment” played out between them. The idea or picture I get when I first think of the “apple of his eye” is “endearment,” such as the love of a daughter for her mother and vice versa. It is something precious to the eye, like a grandchild. It can also be kind of like a jealous protection. I also think of the terminology that Paul used when he said, “set your affection on things above.” This affection or endearment is the object of our eye. It is what we gaze upon with delight. It is the watchful protective eye of a father watching over his daughter or son. One last observation I would like to make is that some manuscripts or version of the bible translate the word “apple” as “pupil” the part of the eye that focuses on an object. The thing that I want to “focus” on in this and upcoming blogs is the apple of our Father’s eye. Where is God’s gaze? Where is his affection? What is dear and precious to him? What is his watchful and protective eye locked in on?
I believe that we are the eyes, ears, heart and hands of Jesus. What we hear, see and feel are things that God hears, sees and feels. I also believe that God desires for us to put our hands out to those areas in which we feel passion towards, those areas where we see with our heart and are moved with compassion towards. Our hands are his hands, and he wants to use them to touch situations to bring healing, help and industrious use, to save a life, to help a community to revive and support out region.
Where is your gaze? What moves your heart with compassion? or even jealousy? When you look out and see our community, what angers you? What do you see that is broken? or what needs support to grow and flourish more? These questions and more will give rise to an idea of where the gaze of our Father’s eyes might be at this moment in time. When David wrote his psalm, he was crying out for God’s favorable attention to him as he lived out his assignment on the Earth as king over Israel. He knew it would take the helpful and watchful eye of the Father to keep him as he navigated the responsibilities of watching over and caring for the nation that God had entrusted him with.
I believe that like David we are all shepherds at some level. We are shepherds over ourselves, our own souls first. Then we are shepherds over our families, businesses and employees, over the area that we are in charge of at work as well as the people who work with us and who we may work for. We are given the responsibility to pray and care for those around us. As shepherds we are set in place to watch over those areas with the watchful, protective, compassionate eyes of our Father.
I’ll finish with another reading from a watchful shepherd to consider today.
Num 6:24-26 NLT - 'May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile (look upon you with delight) on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.'
What is the apple in your eye?
~ Pastor Tim