God's Hand

Is on You!

    You're the Apple

        of His Eye!
 

       I’m sure you’ve heard the old phrase, the apple of my eye.  Maybe you’ve even had that said to you or you said it to someone else.  When we express that someone we’re meaning that we are very fond and proud of that person.

       That phrase is actually from the Bible, and many people used it because it was thought that the pupil of eye was apple-shaped and the eye was very precious, essential to sight.  So if someone or something became the apple of your eye, you meant that it was very precious to you.

       That’s what you are to God.  Very precious.  You’re the apple of His eye.  He’s fond of you and is proud of you.  Therefore He has placed His hand upon you.  Providence surrounds your life and He guides you.

       Deuteronomy chapter 32 describes how when the people of Israel were in the wilderness, He called them the apple of His eye.  He guided them to their destination of the place of promise.  The scripture says, He threw His arms around him, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of His eye.  Then it ends with, God alone led him (Deuteronomy 32:10, 12).

       Just as He put His hand on the people of Israel, He has put His hand on you to guide you.  When you’re in the desert, the wilderness is around you, you don’t have direction, you’re not at the place you want to be, the hand of God is still with you.  You’re the apple of His eye and He has favor on your life.  He puts His arms around you, lavishes attention on you.  Hey, because you’re the apple of His eye that means you’re right in the center of His view.  He’s keeping watch on you to guide you by His hand.

       But when we don’t understand what’s going on, it’s hard during those times to believe and say, “I know God’s hand of providence is on me.  He will guide me to where I need to be.”

       This is how a man was challenged when he thought he was going God’s direction, but circumstances changed.  His name was Thomas Coke.  He was educated at Oxford and had a good ministry.  But at one point he felt that he was to make a change and become a part of a new spiritual movement that was taking place.

       So in 1785, Thomas Coke packed up his books and bags and made arrangements to sail to the location where he would join those who were beginning this movement.  But when he and his group set sail, a bad storm came up and kept growing worse.  It seemed the storm was steering the ship, forget providence.  They weren’t sure what was going to happen.  So after three months of trying to get to their destination, their damaged ship was just able to make it to the Caribbean.

       They finally pulled into St. John’s harbor on the island of Antigua.  As soon as they landed, Coke remembered that he knew a missionary by the name of John Baxter who was supposed to be on the island.  So he and his group decided to begin a search of the area to find him.

       The very first person they stopped to ask where this man was turned out to be John Baxter himself.  He was on his way to a special service that he was holding that morning for the people of the island.  He was amazed to see Coke standing before him.  He knew it was the hand of providence moving.

       As soon as the people on the island heard about the group that had arrived, they poured into the services to hear them speak.  In fact so much so that it took several services to accommodate the crowds.

       Well, after that was over, they couldn’t deny the Spirit of God was moving and directing their way.  What seemed so confusing was now obvious to them.  So they gave up the idea of going further, and the team was planted right there on Antigua and some other nearby islands.  Because they allowed God to guide them, by the time Thomas Coke passed away in 1814, there were over 17,000 believers in the church there.

       Now you know the whole time Coke was on that ship in a storm he had to question if providence was guiding him.  Then on top of that, he ended up at a different place than he was headed.    

       We can trust that in spite of where it seems our ship is headed, providence is still directing us.  Instead of just viewing the storm and the damaged ship and a delay in getting to our destination, we rest in the fact that the hand of God is much stronger than what seems to be directing our way.  Because we believe in providence, we know we can see the work of the divine hand on us.  He will make sure we get to the right destination.

A Spiritual Powerline to say out loud:

“I'M THE APPLE OF HIS EYE!”

  Here is a powerful prayer
              to say out loud:               
 

       Lord, I know Your hand is on me, and I am the apple of Your eye.  You are guarding and guiding me.  I will make it to the place I want to be in every area of my life.  I trust You and praise You for this.  In the name of Jesus.  Amen.