Psalm 17:8 (VOICE) Keep close watch over me as the apple of Your eye; shelter me in the shadow of Your wings.
At some point in my childhood, I was seriously convinced that the moon was the eye of God. Before I would go to bed, I would sit by the window and stare at that bright light in the darkness sure that the One who loved me was staring back. At this time, I didn’t know about the Scripture that says the eyes of the Lord are always upon the righteous (Psalm 34:15) or how we are the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8). Yet somehow, I instinctively knew this truth.
This bright, unblinking eye in the sky didn’t scare me though. In fact, I was sure that even though I was going to sleep, my Big Daddy above didn’t sleep; He would be keeping His eye on me, and I would be safe. God was so big and yet so close to me all at once! He was completely involved in my life and certainly not too busy running the universe to watch me while I slept. I would wrap myself in that truth and fall into a deep rest.
Although I’m an adult and now know what the moon really is, I have to admit that that pure, childlike truth about my Heavenly Father remains a powerful part of my life. Sonship is a beautiful and ever-unraveling revelation. Our Father is infinite, a sovereign over all created things. Yet sometimes we can feel lost in the midst of this creation and the chaos that sin brings. And when we feel lost, we lose sight of who we are and Whose we are. But when the eyes of our heart can manage to refocus on the truth—that we are much-loved children of the King of the Universe and God of Angel Armies—then it gets pretty hard for the troubles of life to overwhelm us. We may be adults in the earthly realm, but from a heavenly perspective, we never leave the watchful and loving care of our Heavenly Father. His thoughts towards us our vast and His care over us never changes. His love and favor are truly the only security blanket we need to find rest in this world.
[Eye of the Lord originally posted on Waiting in the Wings, reposted in its entirety with permission.]