As the Apple of Your Eye

“Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!

    Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

From your presence let my vindication come!

    Let your eyes behold the right!

You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,

    you have tested me, and you will find nothing;

    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips

    I have avoided the ways of the violent.

My steps have held fast to your paths;

    my feet have not slipped.

“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

    incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Wondrously show your steadfast love,

    O Savior of those who seek refuge

    from their adversaries at your right hand.

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

    hide me in the shadow of your wings,

from the wicked who do me violence,

    my deadly enemies who surround me.

They close their hearts to pity;

    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

They have now surrounded our steps;

    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.” (Psalms 17:1-11 ESV)

I did not live a perfect life, and I would be false to the truth to say that I did. King David did not lead a perfect life, either. There was a time in his life where he committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife and where he murdered her husband to cover up his sin. But God confronted him with his sin, and he repented, but there were consequences to his disobedience. Mostly he was a man of God who worshipped the Lord in spirit and in truth and who served the Lord with his life in obedience to him.

Now I would say that describes my life, as well, not that I ever murdered anyone in real life, but I did sin sexually against the Lord for a period of time, and there were times when I ran from God rather than to him, out of fear of my adversaries. But the Lord confronted me with my sin, and I also repented and returned to following the Lord with my life. And in due time he called me to this present ministry of writing down what he teaches me from his word each day and then posting these writings on the internet.

But during the times of my life, which was most of my life, when I was walking faithfully to the Lord, to the best of my understanding, I was also faced with much opposition, but not usually from people outside of the gatherings of the church, but normally from people within the gatherings of the church. But it was the Lord who allowed these trials and tribulations to come into my life to test me and to purify me, which was a long process, in order to prepare me for the ministry to which he has now called me.

Even though my faith in the Lord was sincere, and my desire to serve the Lord came from a pure heart and love for my Lord and a pure desire to obey him and his word, I was accused falsely of desiring to serve the Lord out of pride and selfish motives, and by people who did not even know me but who were judging me by their own attitudes and motives. They attacked me verbally and accused me wrongfully, and they judged me by themselves and not by the word of the Lord, and they had no pity toward me, either.

And this didn’t just happen once, or in only one location (state or city), but this happened repeatedly over many different years by many different people who were judging me by their own human standards and not by the word of God, and not in truth, and with no pity or concern for the outcome of their treatment of me, either. Was I doing something wrong then? No! Was I perfect? No! But I was not guilty as charged. Rather, my life was committed to serving the Lord and to obeying his will and purpose.

So, I identify with much of David’s pleas to the Lord when he was under attack by those who were opposed to him. But I also acknowledge God’s absolute sovereignty over my life and that he allowed all of these situations in my life to make me strong in the Lord and determined to follow the Lord in obedience no matter how I get treated in return, and by whom. For to do what I do presently I cannot be swayed by the opinions nor by the attacks of those who stand opposed to God’s calling upon my life.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord loves me, and that I am “the apple of his eye” (not the only one), and that I am doing his will, and that he is blessing this ministry, even if I can’t see all the results. I will rest in that secure no matter how many humans stomp on my heart or disown me or tell me that they were warned about people like me “with strong convictions.” I will keep moving forward in obeying my Lord no matter who disregards me as though I am worthless, for I am worth something to God.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/379484387