Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings – Psalm 17:8
Apples have had a very interesting connotation in our society. So often the apple is portrayed as the fruit that Adam and Eve ate, even though the Bible never mentions the type of fruit.
You’ve probably heard the term “bad apple” referring to a person of bad character. Then there’s the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” While it’s not a bad thing to eat an apple every day, I don’t know if that statement is entirely true.
God seems to like apples as well, and he uses it to describe you and me as the “apple of his eye.” Let’s explore what that really means, and four reasons God sees you as the apple of his eye.
What Does 'Apple of My Eye' Mean?
Another way of thinking about this is as the object of my affection, the thing that you hold in highest regard, or the one you love the most. When you come to this verse in Psalm 17:8 this phrase can also be translated as the little man of the eye.
When you consider this phrase, think of it as God seeing you and watching over you. You can consider it as a term of affection but also as one of protection. If you can imagine a parent looking at their child and the child reflecting in the eyes of the parent, this will give you a small glimpse of what this means.
The Treasury of David Bible Commentary tells us: "No part of the body more precious, more tender, and more carefully guarded than the eye; and of the eye, no portion more peculiarly to be protected than the central apple, the pupil, or as the Hebrew calls it, "the daughter of the eye." The all wise Creator has placed the eye in a well protected position; it stands surrounded by projecting bones like Jerusalem encircled by mountains. Moreover, its great Author has surrounded it with many tunics of inward covering, besides the hedge of the eyebrows, the curtain of the eyelids, and the fence of the eyelashes; and, in addition to this, he has given to every man so high a value for his eyes, and so quick an apprehension of danger, that no member of the body is more faithfully cared for than the organ of sight."
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What Do Other Translations Say in Psalm 17:8?
AMP - Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the apple of Your eye; Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings.
CSB - Protect me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
MSG - Keep your eye on me; hide me under your cool wing feathers
NLT - Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
TPT - Protect me from harm; keep an eye on me like you would a child reflected in the twinkling of your eye. Yes, hide me within the shelter of your embrace, under your outstretched wings.
Knowing what this verse means makes me think: how did we get to such a wonderful position in God’s eyes? For this reason, I want to share with you four reasons God refers to you as the apple of his eye.
1. He Created You
The psalms remind us that God knit us together when we were in our mother’s womb. If you have ever knitted anything before, I tried once and never went back, it is something that is precise and time-consuming. It requires great patience and attention to detail. I have watched people knit and they are very meticulous because they care about the work.
This can be said of many different types of creative ventures. Because of the love and care you put into the creation of it, it’s natural you will have a real fondness for it.
I happen to be a musician, and a few years ago I wrote a song for my son which we eventually recorded. To this day it’s one of my favorite songs because when I hear it, I think of my son and it reminds me that he is the apple of my eye.
This is how God sees you. Because he created you, he looks at you with great love and affection.
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2. He Created You in His Image
Genesis 1:27 tells us, So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God didn’t just create you, he created you in his own image.
God created you to be a reflection of his character and personality.
This means you laugh because God laughs. You hurt because God hurts. You cry because God cries.
I know we don’t often think of God in these terms, but because we have emotions it means God has them, too...because we are made in his image. You might ask: why is this a reason for God to refer to you as the apple of his eye?
Here’s the answer. He made you in his image so that you could have fellowship with him. God gave you a spirit so that your spirit could connect with his spirit. If you remember, in the garden God would come down and have fellowship with Adam and Eve. This is one of the main reasons you were created.
The beautiful thing is his desire has not changed. To this day, the one thing God desires from you and everyone is fellowship. His longing and desire is to be in personal relationship with you. Yes, to spend time with you. This desire is one of the big reasons God refers to you as the apple of his eye.
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3. He Redeemed You
If you needed any further proof, just think of the lengths God went through to win you back. He loved you too much to leave you in your sinful condition. I often wonder if we take the time to realize how it hurts God when people reject him. Not because he has a bruised ego, but he recognizes what they are missing out on and eventually what their end will be. Consider Jesus when he wept over Jerusalem:
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. – Luke 19:41-42
Consider this for a moment. The fullness of the deity was placed into a human body, that alone is a miracle. Jesus then lived, experiencing everything we could ever experience in this human life.
If that wasn’t enough, he then went and took the full weight and judgment of sin on our behalf so that he could redeem us back to the Father. All this is proof of how great God’s love truly is for you.
If you ever needed a reason God refers to you as the apple of his eye, just look at the cross. There is this old song, When He Was on the Cross, that reminds us: “When he was on the cross, I was on his mind.” The reason you were on his mind is because you are the apple of his eye. The cross will stand as a forever reminder of how much you mean to God.
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4. He Has Made an Eternal Home for You
Listen to what Jesus assures us:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. – John 14:1-3
The purpose of the cross leads you to this one reason. God referring to you as the apple of his eye leads to this same reason. He has prepared a place for you and he is coming back again for you.
Right now, God has showered his love upon us and yet we have not experienced his love completely, we have really only had a little glimpse. The day is coming when we will not just have a taste...we will have a full-on, unhindered revelation of the love of God.
This will go beyond anything you could ever think or imagine. When that day comes, God will finally get to show you how much you really are the apple of his eye. He has been planning for this moment for a long time (in human years) and all I can say is what a glorious day that will be.
Final Thoughts - You Are the Apple of God's Eye!
Remember, you are loved. This is not a superficial kind of love that changes with the shift of the winds. This is an eternal, never-changing, never-ending kind of love that will keep loving you in spite of anything you ever go through in this life. Please never forget that God’s love for you will always remain.
This same God that created you for fellowship desires to have fellowship with you this very day, this very moment. My prayer is that you will take him up on his offer and spend some time with him because after all—you are the apple of his eye.
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