What is the Apple of Your Eye?

Have you ever heard of the phrase, "apple of my eye"? Many song writers have written the term in love songs as a way of confessing the love they have for someone they deeply admire. What is currently the affection of your heart? Keep reading today’s devotion for insight on what should be the apple of our eyes.

Imagine a morning when you are heading out of your house in a rush. You drive for a few minutes up the road and suddenly, it hits you! Your gut starts churning and you're filled with dread. You start having an internal debate with yourself, “should I go back, should I stay? How bad do I need it? How could I be so careless?!” You become fidgety and bothered and begin to think about how your world will end if you don't go back. If you don't search high and low to find it. How are you going to survive, if an emergency happens? You decide to turn around at high speed, throw the car in park, and open up the door to your house. Finally relief! You see your cell phone right next to the coffee pot. Whew that was a close one!

Now this scenario may seem dramatic for some of you or maybe under dramatic for others, but many of us go into sheer panic mode when we lose our cell phones. Without it, we can feel lost or feel like we will miss out on something important. For many of us, it's like a lifeline because everything is connected to it: our family, friends, and businesses. But do we treat God's infallible word the same way? Do we really guard His instructions and wisdom as a means to survival in this world like we should?

“Keep my command and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.” Proverbs 2:7 NIV

The apple in the Greek means “ little man of the eye” or in other words the pupil. The eye is valuable, it is precious. It is so precious that God created eyelids to store it away and protect it from outside influences. Even a little flick of dust can affect the eye.

Now, when you hear the term, “he is the apple of my eye,” you think of someone you hold with high regard or someone who is the object of your affection. We must see God's life giving word as precious and invaluable. The apple of our eye. It should be the treasured object of our affection. It protects us and is our shield of defense against the attack of the enemy like an eyelid is a shield of defense for the eye, keeping even the little dust particles of temptation of this world from destroying our souls when we heed its wisdom.

Sometimes we can take for granted the gift that God has made available to all of us. We don't go into panic mode when we forget to spend time with God in His word. We don't drop everything and turn away from our distractions and go to Him because we don't see it as priority; a matter of life and death. For a moment or a season, we forget that the Word of God is a catalyst for transformation and spiritual growth. That it’s active, powerful, and fruitful when we allow it to fill us up and invade our hearts.

God’s word is our lifeline that keeps us from running off course. It keeps us connected to the One who can sustain us and saturate us with everything that we need to survive on this side of heaven. It allows us to go deeper in knowing the heart and character of our Creator.

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What is currently the apple of your eye? Is it taking the place that only God can fulfill?