Today’s Morning Prayer canticle from Deuteronomy captures this phrase:
“He encircled him, he cared for him,
he kept him as the apple of his eye. (Dt 32:10)
Elsewhere in the Old Testament the Psalmist prays:
“Keep me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of thy wings.” (Ps 17:8)
The bible makes use of that phrase in other books as well. There are a number of colloquial phrases that have made their way into our language, but this one from the Bible, about our being the apple of God’s eye, is a particular favorite of mine since my teenage years. Coming across it again today was like receiving a hug from heaven.
Augustine taught that God loves us –as if we were the only one! That’s the sense that I get from this little phrase. God loves me. And I know that in the magnanimity of his love, God loves you too, the same way.
When I take God at his word, and trust that it has something in it for me — to help me or encourage me — it makes all the difference in my day. (That’s why I love to spend a little time with the Bible each morning, even if I’m praying the shortened version of Morning Prayer found in my Magnificat.)
How about you? Do you have a favorite bible verse that has become meaningful lately, or one from long ago that you’ve revisited lately?
4 comments on “You are the apple of God’s eye. (That’s not from a Hallmark greeting card, that’s in the Bible…)”
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I just found this site! I direct a small pre k choir and we have a Bible verse a month. I have found most children of any age have never heard this verse and upon hearing it, they really like it and remember it! We draw apples, eat apple, cut one in half to see the “star” and talk a lot about the fact that God really loves each and every one of us…even the “rotten” ones. Then we ususally end with Jesus Loves Me….thanks for reminding me about this verse!
Nice ideas, Susan!