You are the apple of His eye: me too

In old English the pupil, the round dark centre of the eye, was called the apple. It was thought that the pupil was round like an apple. The phrase “You are the apple of my eye,” seems to be related to the fact that when you look into someone else’s eyes, their reflection appears in your pupil. And the phrase seems to mean that the one reflected there is a favourite of yours. And a valid application of the quote from Zechariah 2:8 is that you and I are favourite sons or daughters of the living God. How we can all be His favourite is something of a mystery, nevertheless I don’t doubt that is true!

In particular, God is for us not against us (Romans 8:31). How very different is this truth, from those who feel that God is out to get them, and is just waiting for them to blow it, so that He can condemn them. When a person gives their heart and life to the Lord, they are placed “in Christ” (Galatians 3:26). And so when He looks at us, He sees us through the lens of Christ’s righteousness. We are then intended to understand that as His son or daughter God sees us as His beloved son or daughter in whom He is well pleased (Mark 1:11).

This being in Christ, is a huge privilege, in particular His favour rests on us (Luke 2:14), all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are available to us (Colossians 2:3) and we are given all the power, grace and mercy we need to be being transformed into His likeness (2 Peter 1:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 3: 18). He calls us saints, and then calls us to absolute surrender, so that in cooperation with Him, we can become saintly (Romans 12:1, 2).

Father, Paul asks “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” In light of the tender mercies of our God, the very thought is unthinkable (Romans 6:2). In fact the only reasonable response to Your tender mercies Lord, is absolute and ongoing surrender (Romans 12:1 NKJV). I had known that I was the apple of Your eye in my head for a very long time. But it is only recently that I am starting to walk in the reality of it. And I pray for my brothers and sisters this morning that they too may increasingly enter into the amazing abundance, peace and joy that is our inheritance in You. In Jesus Name Amen