The Love of God 2
"Keep me as the Apple of your Eye." Psalm 17:8
This line is a prayer from David to God and he's asking God to keep him as the apple of his eye, which means that David understands that he is the apple of God's eye. What does that mean? One definition I found was that to be the apple of a persons eye you had to be so close to them that you could see your own reflection in their eye. (Try it some time). It has become a term of the deepest affection and endearment as from a father or mother to their child.
For many years I thought "Well that's David, he's God's chosen, he's special and that's how God looks at him." Or "well that's how God views others, people in the ministry, really spiritual people or people who are serving and pouring out their hearts and lives on the mission fields." But let's take a closer look at David.
What do you remember most about David? Usually it's that he fought an extremely large warrior named Goliath (about 2 feet taller than your average professional basketball center) and brought about a huge victory for the nation of Israel (all through God's help, some pebbles and a slingshot). David is our HERO!!! But wait a moment....even if we've heard about Bathsheba and David's adultery with her. It's easy to push it all to the back of our minds and discount it! Then to add to his adultery David then schemed and carried out the murder of her Husband, Uriah and tried to cover it up. Wow, adultery and murder. Could you imagine that conversation with your Christian brother or sister at church. "Hey how's it going, how was your week?" "Okay I guess, I committed adultery and murdered someone." You might find yourself with a bewildered look on your face and scooting over to the next aisle.
Later on we find out that David receives consequences for his sinful actions (there are always consequences for sin), however God forgives him, continues to love him and blesses him. When the New Testament writers mentioned David, they spoke highly of him as "a man after God's own heart." God wanted that in there!!! He wanted us to know that David was a man after God's own heart (despite his sin) and that God viewed him as the Apple of His Eye.
Why?
Because how God views us and how God loves us, does not depend upon our sins or works or actions but upon who God is, and His decision to love us.
So on my best days I am the Apple of God's Eye; and on my worst days I am The Apple of God's Eye....and so are you.