“Keep Me As the Apple of Your Eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings ……..He encircled him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye ……. He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
(Psalm 17:8; Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 91:1)
Psalms 18, 27 & 91, alongside Isaiah 37, 41, & 43, 2 Chronicles 20, and a host of other Scriptures solidly assure me of my safety & security in God. Inherent to these is an allusion to reciprocity that often gets missed amidst the emotional highs and spiritual revelings in this great truth.
In other words, the assurance of God’s protection is contingent on several factors such as a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, abiding in and obedience to Him, remaining in His will, etc., all aptly demonstrated throughout Scripture. A nuanced truth that takes this contingency up another notch is the concept of the pursuit of God.
Several verses indicate that the pursuit of God beyond the careless and casual will result in divine elevations above and beyond the usual, i.e., above opposing people, circumstances, and forces of life, such that one is insulated and secluded from harm in every way, irrespective of its many attempts against you. You are UNTOUCHABLE when you abide in the secret place – an exclusive sanctum only His passionate pursuers are privy to….
This is not an exegesis of the Scriptures supporting this concept, neither is it a dissertation on the subject itself, but suffice it to mention that the topic introduces the notion that the most passionate Pursuer eventually desires to be pursued, the most expressive Wooer expressly aspires to be wooed, and the ultimate All-time Lover inherently longs for His ardent love to be received and reciprocated so that it can then be returned and rewarded. Thus is born the celestial cycle of a most reverent & ravishing romantic rendezvous, adroitly portrayed in the ensuing spiritual biopic.
PASSIONATE LOVER
(Joy of The Father’s Heart {originally “The Silent Sojourner”})
He came without warning, yearned his way in
This passionate lover I had redeemed from sin
Said My heart was his home; he had come to stay
On the very center of My bosom his head he lay.
He set out to know Me, this persistent one
My Word and My ways searched out my son
Stayed continuously in My presence, learning of Me
Transformed by my Word, the truth set him free.
This passionate pursuer gave Me his heart,
He knew I would never leave him, he knew we would never part
He gave Me his life to have and to mold
Emerged My Refiner’s fire much purer than gold.
Thoroughly schooled and equipped with divine mastery
My passionate one is well prepared to secure destiny! His character and mission forged by my abiding presence
He arises to shine in magnificent eminence!
Now this passionate lover is the apple of My eye
You dare not touch him lest you die!
With angels have I surrounded him – he’s safe day and night!
For in this my child do I greatly delight!
Are you the priceless object of heaven’s affection, jealously guarded by God’s predilection? Do you ardently pursue Him in the secret place of His presence, untouchable and insulated against every negative influence? ….. Or are you surfing the outer courts of religiosity, content with glib appearances of piety, satisfied with mere religious activity, but devoid of genuine spiritual connectivity? Do you live with in supernatural security?
(Psalm 91, Deut 32:10, Zechariah 2:8-9; Psalm 105:14-15, Psalm 34:7, Psalm 18:19)