Apple-Eye

“In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye…”

Deuteronomy 32:10

The phrase ‘the apple of my eye’ dates back pre-Shakespeare to as early as AD885. It’s a phrase used to refer to someone or something that is cherished above all else and it appears a handful of times in Scripture.

Its use in the Bible comes from the Hebrew, ‘the little man of the eye’. Looking into someone’s eye you see your reflection shining back – you are the ‘little man’ in their eye. To see yourself as the apple of one’s eye means you need to be up close and personal.

Our little girl is four and she often refers to herself as Daddy’s “apple-eye”. She knows that she is the apple of her Father’s eye and with this knowledge comes significance, security and a strong sense of her self-worth. She will bound into our bedroom early in the morning announcing, “Daddy, Apple-Eye is here…” Our daughter knows that as her Father’s apple-eye he is always pleased to see her, he delights to know what’s on her heart and is quick to envelop her close if she has fallen or is sad.

Your eye is also one of the most vulnerable parts of your body – to protect it you need to blink or turn away from a ball or a blow (as evidenced in the Australian/England cricket match last night)! So to be the apple of someone’s eye also means they’re going to protect you in your vulnerability.

My little girl has confidence to step out and try new things when her Daddy is near. She knows that her Daddy has got her back and will shield and care for her, she knows that he will guard her. Why? She knows she is precious to him. She knows that in her vulnerability, her Daddy will look after her, and that he is ‘mighty to save’. She knows she’s his apple-eye.

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
Psalm 17:8

Did you know that you are the apple of your Heavenly Father’s eye? You are treasured, valued and prized beyond your comprehension. Come to the Father this week knowing that Jesus, the crowning apple of the Father’s eye, took on the greatest vulnerability and received the ultimate estrangement because you were worth it.

You, my friend, are God’s apple-eye.

Winning at Granola

Homemade granola and yogurt for breakfast?  

Surely this is a check me out winning at life post…  

Not so much.  But we’ll get to the granola.

Considering only yesterday I was talking about the desire to be real and honest on social media but not being sure how to go about it without turning a post into “let’s all feel sorry for me” I find it delightful that today I can share how life isn’t always peachy.

So.  We’re attempting to emigrate.  The kids and I got our visas this morning - win!  Except it has a condition on it that would mean we’d need to leave the UK before the end of the school term - lose!  That would mean missing weddings, family holidays, precious time booked with loved ones before we go.  It’s not the end of the world in that we will be able to change the dates (probably) for a fee (per person).  On top of solicitor stuff for selling a house, children management (who knew it was such hard work - their socials lives are crazy), lack of sleep, full on husband schedule at the moment, this was kinda the last thing I wanted to receive.  Another hurdle, another set of paperwork, another job to add to the very long list, another cost... 

So what’s the granola about?  Well - my granola (despite being delicious) was supposed to be more like granola slices / flapjack style baked goods for the kids bake off competition at school today.  It didn’t work.  My culinary skills were not up to scratch and so granola slices became granola.  I could have posted about lovely granola - that wouldn’t have been the full story.

Here’s the lesson in it.  It’s not about if life deals you bad days or things go wrong.  Things will go wrong.  Stuff will break, things won’t work, people will let you down, visas will have the wrong dates on them, granola slices won’t set...  What matters is what you do in those moments.  How you look at a situation and take what you have to turn it into something good.  Broken slices don’t have to stay broken slices, they can be shaken up, redistributed, stuck back in the oven and become a delicious granola.  Life doesn’t always happen the way we want it to or expect it to, but we do have a choice with what we’ve been given, and we are responsible for our attitude in those moments.  And sometimes, working with the broken pieces that we’ve got can actually lead to something else that is beautiful in its own right.

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The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. 

Psalm 28:7

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

One thing...

A man. Blind from birth. His life destined to bring glory to God.

He encounters Jesus. It gets messy. Then Jesus tells him to go to the Pool of Siloam (which means ‘sent’).

He does what Jesus says. His life is forever changed. He comes home seeing.

People see a difference, a change. They can’t quite figure out if it’s even the same man. So they ask questions – what happened, how did this happen, where is the man that did this…? They ask him once, twice… they still don’t get it. They ask his parents. They ask the guy again… what happened?!

‘He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”’ (John 9:25).

I think we have a tendency to make evangelism a lot harder than it needs to be. You don’t have to have all the answers to be effective in your witness for Jesus. You don’t have to have studied Theology at university or in seminary. You don’t have to have memorised the whole Bible. You don’t have to have all the answers to every deep and difficult question of apologetics…

You do have to use your voice.

One thing…

Here it is again. One thing. Just one, simple, thing. And it always comes back to Jesus.

This was who I was before I met Jesus. This is what Jesus did. This is who I am now.

Meeting Jesus often gets messy. There can be mud flying all over the place. We can be asked to do things that don’t make much sense. And you can count on the fact that Jesus is always going to send you somewhere in the process. At the end of this story, the Pharisees still don’t believe, they still choose not to accept or listen to the man’s testimony and even end up insulting him and saying he was “steeped in sin at birth” which, incidentally, Jesus has already told us in v3 that this is not the case – “this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

But our job is not to change hearts and minds. Our job is to tell the one thing that Jesus has done for us. Our lives will always look different after we’ve been in the presence of Jesus and it should make people ask questions. Each and every one of us started off blind. Born with attitudes, characteristics, and elements of our personalities, circumstances or physical bodies that are not as they should be. We all need Jesus to restore to us our sight once again. That we might see clearly who He is and, when he reveals himself as he did to this man, respond with belief and worship. Just like this blind man was born so that God might receive glory when others witnessed his transformation, healing, and encounter with Jesus, we too were born for the same. For such a time as this. “‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…’ (1 Peter 3:14-15).

One thing. Just tell them the one thing.

Jesus. It’s always going to be Jesus.

Give careful attention...

Give careful attention to your spiritual life and every cherished truth you teach, for living what you preach will then release even more abundant life inside you and to all those who listen to you.

1 Timothy 4:16

Give careful attention
What does it look like to give careful attention to your spiritual life?  Are you prioritising time in the Word?  Are you speed reading and skimming the Bible so you can give yourself a ‘tick’ for quiet time or are you taking the time to dwell on the text, to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate and bring revelation for your life here and now?  Are you carving out time to listen to the Lord as well as talk to Him about your requests?  How careful are you with your Spiritual life?  Do you watch what you say? Are you seeking to grow in the fruit of the Spirit?  Have you allowed God access to all areas of your life?  Why not spend this week allowing God to shine His light on your spiritual life and illuminate any areas that need some attention.

Living what you preach

The thing about living what you preach is that you need to be preaching!  It doesn’t need to be on a platform or in front of a crowd but, as Christians, it is our responsibility to be speaking the name of Jesus.  To be preaching his name in our conversations and day to day life.  To be pointing to Him as the reason for our hope, peace, joy and steadiness in the midst of whatever else is going on in our lives. When was the last time you preached the name of Jesus? 

Release even more…
This verse tells us that it is when we live what we preach that even more abundant life will be released inside of us and to all who listen to us.  I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of abundant life.  Abundance is all about overflow, profusion, copiousness.  It is sufficient and satisfying regardless of the circumstances or situations we find ourselves in.  There is no lack or scarcity in abundance.  Our God is a God of love and life.  And he gives us both in abundance.  Psalm 34:10 tells us that “even the strong and the wealthy grow weak and hungry, but those who passionately pursue the Lord will never lack any good thing.” 
And the thing about this abundant life is that it isn’t only about us.  It doesn’t stop with us.  Being a Christian is not an insular, private, you-and-God-only affair.  When we live what we preach, we’re told that even more will be released for us and those who listen to us.  If you want to bless, love and care for those around you then start talking to them about Jesus.  It’s the most loving thing you can do.

Cursed or Blessed?

A friend and I were studying Jeremiah 17 this week and in particular the contrast between verses 5-6 and 7-8.  Cursed are those who trust in man, rely on flesh, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.  They will be like “stunted shrubs” (NLT) with no hope, they will be barren, in the wilderness, living in an “uninhabited salty land”.  In contrast, those who trust in the Lord will be blessed, they make the Lord their hope and confidence.  They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots going deep into the water.  No worries, no fear despite the drought.  “Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”  Take some time and look, clause by clause, at the contrast between these two pairs of verses.

God’s not walking around in heaven smiting people and cursing them.  The cursed ones are those who have turned “their hearts away from the Lord”.  That’s something that we do.  So are you cursed or blessed?  Is your heart turned towards the Lord at the moment?  Notice that the environment and circumstances of both the cursed and the blessed is drought – and yet the one who “trusts in the Lord” is not parched but fruitful.  Whatever situation you find yourself in at the moment, why not turn again to Jesus and ask him to help you trust Him once more.  Beautiful promises await those “have made the Lord their hope and confidence.”

But if you say so

“Simon said, ‘Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow.  But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.’ It was no sooner said than done – a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity…” Luke 5:5-6 MSG

What have you been tackling hard recently?  Where is it that you’re trying and trying, working at full capacity, giving it all you’ve got and yet still coming up short?!  Maybe it’s in a parent-child relationship, maybe it's a work situation, perhaps it’s a challenge at home – health, finances, relationships… Simon was a pro fisherman.  He knew his stuff and yet that night there was nothing to show for his effort and hard work.  Nothing.  So disappointing, so tiring, so frustrating.  Along comes Jesus, a carpenter, who simply tells him, “push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch…”  Really.  Really Jesus?  You’ve seen how hard I’ve been working, you’ve seen the hours of preparation and effort.  You know that the best time of fishing is at night and not in the day.  I’m tired, I’ve given it all I’ve got… Simon could have given Jesus a shed load of excuses as to why going out to fish then was a bad idea. 

But if you say so… that simple phrase shows us the correct response to Jesus.  If Jesus says something, it’s worth following through.  Simon is a pro fisherman, but he also has a right understanding of who Jesus is:  “Master”, boss, leader, commander… if you say so, then I will do it. 

What is it that you’ve been tackling in your own strength where you need to stop and let Jesus direct you?  He promises wisdom when we ask for it.  “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths…” (Proverbs 3:6).  Have you been acknowledging Jesus?  Have you been giving excuses?  Have you brought your situation before Him?  When we let him direct our paths and our work then he brings fruitfulness.  “He will be gracious if you ask for help… He will answer you.” (Isaiah 30:19)

Holding on tight...

"He was very rich and became terribly sad.  He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.”

Luke 18:23 MSG

This phrase comes from the Message paraphrase of Luke 18 and Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler.  It really jumped out at me.  And challenged me.  I’m sure we all know that “it’s harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle…” and I’m sure we all pretty quickly dismiss ourselves as not rich enough for this to apply to us.  We’re good right?!  But Jesus’ challenge here is deep and I think Peterson captures the heart of this well in the Message.  The rich young man was “holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.”

What are you holding on tight to?  Maybe it is wealth as this passage addresses directly, in which case, how and where is Jesus asking you to let go?  But maybe it’s not finances that you’re holding onto.  Perhaps it’s pride – are you refusing to make the first move in reconciliation?  Are you denying someone an apology or forgiveness?  Maybe it’s status – are you holding on to a title, position, label and refusing to humble yourself and serve?  Maybe it’s image – are you preventing hospitality because you’re embarrassed you might not have the perfect house?  Perhaps it’s privacy – are you holding on to your privacy and refusing to live in community where others can bring challenge and encouragement?  Where in your life are you holding on tightly refusing to let Jesus have his way?

We are all susceptible to hold on to things other than Jesus for our security, significance and self-worth, but when we do this, we too, like the rich young ruler have placed an idol in our lives ahead of God.  In Mark’s depiction of this encounter, he adds something that Luke omits.  Mark 10:21 – “Jesus looked at him and loved him… ‘One thing you lack,’ he said…” Sound familiar?  One thing… one thing… only one thing is more important than wealth, status, significance, position… one thing, “there is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42). 

Jesus is looking at you, right now, and loving you.  He sees and knows that you and I too are rich young rulers.  He sees our tight-clenched fists reluctant to let go of the things we’re holding so very tightly and he loves us.  He knows that only one thing is needed and that when we let go and allow him to take those things out of the way, then we can know life to the full as we will be free to fully embrace all that Jesus has for us.  "Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing" (Psalm 34:10).  He knows best.  Trust him, and let go.