September 17, 2013 - The Apple Of His Eye

GMA, I will be headed out of town again next week, so blogs will be from the ocean as opposed to the mountains. Terry LOVES the mountains and Teree LOVES the ocean and I LOVE them both, so I break my vacation into 2 components. Beach week is here. :) The first weekend in October I will be speaking at a women's event in Texas. I would love to come to your church and speak if God opens the door. :) I routinely say to my Father, "I'm available." I will be speaking on freedom in Texas and would love to see any of you in that area. Today, I want to briefly connect us to a passage from Psalm 17: I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. 11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover. I know that God hears when we petition Him and that He cares about us individually. I believe this. Our health and the details of our life matter to God. This verse reminds me that God has His watchful eye involved. The writer, King David, uses the descriptor "keep me as the apple of your eye," (NIV - other translations say focus, attention etc) and that clearly reminds me that God has his gaze set on each of us. In the AMP Bible the phrase reads, "keep and guard me as the pupil of your eye." REALLY. How kept and protected is that? Do you guard and protect your pupil? Are you mindful of your eyes daily? I AM! God cares that we struggle to win this battle against our flesh. God desires that we fully comprehend His affection and that He is not absent. I had someone tell me recently that they were angry with God for not taking a particular situation from them. I am not sure that is God's plan - sometimes, maybe, but not always. God desires to walk us THROUGH the valley. We learn things in this journey we would not learn otherwise. Sorry. God may not take away your food addiction, but He WILL help you to have a desire for healthy options if you ask daily and perhaps hourly. However, we are not robots and have been given a choice. Sometimes God allows us to choose between the apple and the brownie trusting that we will make the correct choice and then He satisfies our desires with that apple. Deep this morning. Remember today: our prayer should be, "keep me as the apple of your eye - keep your focused attention on my protection - keep your steady gaze on me - keep and guard me as the pupil of your eye." Yes, yes, and yes! This is how the psalm ends: "You provide food for those you love." Another translation reads, "You still the hunger of those you cherish." Amen! If we can come to a heart knowledge of this and not a head knowledge, we might fight these cravings that try to attack regularly with some deeper fortitude. Yes? Praise God for His love and attention to each of us this day! PK Pastor Kathy Hill New City Church "God has not changed HIS mind about you!" email: kathy@newcitychurch.net blog: kathyshcgfamily.blogspot.com