The Apple of the Eye

It's a privilege to be at the conference. I've noticed that Iowa is much greater than Arizona. In fact, one time in New Mexico, I bought something from a lady, and she says, I took my child to Arizona, and my daughter said, Mommy, Mommy, look it.

It's green, just like my green color that I color with. Arizona and New Mexico is usually brown, brown, and browner. You've probably had as much rain in the past couple days as we get in the whole year.

Turn in your Bibles, please, to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy, please, and chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 10.

The 10th verse of Deuteronomy 32. He found him in a desert land in a waste-howling wilderness, and he led him about, and he instructed him, and here's the little phrase I wanted, and he kept him as the apple of his eye. Psalm 17, please.

I was going to say in the middle of your Bible, used to speaking to those that are in new areas. Psalm 17 and verse 8, please. The 8th verse, 17th Psalm.

Keep me as the apple of the eye. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Proverbs, please.

Chapter 7 and verse number 1 and verse number 2. Proverbs 7, 1 and 2, please. My son, keep my words and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments and live, and my law, my word, as the apple of thine eye.

Lamentations, please, chapter 2. Lamentations chapter 2 and verse number 18. Just after the book of Jeremiah, Lamentations 2 and 18, and I'm just going to read the last part of the verse. Let not the apple of thine eye cease.

And a final reading over in Zechariah chapter 2 and verse 8. My apologies. Zechariah 2 and verse 8. And I'm just going to read the last part of the verse. Zechariah 2 and 8. For he that touches you touches the apple of his eye.

We know the Lord will bless the public reading of the word of God. What is the apple of an eye? It's often been expressed that it's a thing or a person which one loves above all others. I can tell you tonight, as you know, that you've been loved by God.

There's one that loved you, gave himself for you, laid down his life, brought us into the family in the fold. You can develop it every way you want and every aspect you want, and you are the apple of his eye. I want to leave with you tonight that God is deeply interested in you in every single aspect of your life because his well-beloved son laid down his life, the just one for you and the unjust, that he might bring us nigh unto God.

The little man of the eye is often called the apple of the eye. I asked the missus one time, I says, I want you to do something. I want you to come very close to me.

I want you to look right in my eye and tell me what you see. She said, I see myself. I says, thank you, experiment completed.

You are the apple of God's eye. There was a tremendous investment, if I could put it that way, at Calvary when precious blood was shed, and thus you and I are not our own. We've been bought with a price.

There's one that laid down his life that has given us life and life more abundant, and he wants you and I to be totally consecrated to him. I received a phone call during COVID at home in Arizona, and the gentleman called me and he says, John, if there is anything you need during this time of being shut in, you call me and I will come. God was instrumental in allowing me to save his life a few years ago.

He calls often and he says, anything you need, let me know. You and I are debtors to God and debtors to grace, and so we weave in the word of God. We find God loved us, John 3.16. We all know it well.

And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But then as I come along looking at some of the mentions here on the apple of the eye, I find that now you and I have a responsibility. And the Lord is reminding us tenderly, graciously, and kindly, keep me as the apple of thine eye.

Sometimes when I'm driving, I have to confess, the missus says, what are you doing? I says, well, I was actually looking at the fields, or maybe I was looking at the antelope or the deers, and I kept it on the road. No, she says, you need to just focus on what you're doing. And we all know that distracted driving can be dangerous, but distracted living as a believer can be very dangerous.

And so the Lord graciously is reminding us that you and I, maybe you don't distract as quick as I do. You know, I was thinking, I was really glad that I wasn't the young one going to school with a little computer during COVID because I would have found concentration very difficult. But we're thankful for the means that have been provided during this epidemic, if you want to put it that way.

But God reminds us that keep me as the apple of thine eye. How about the sister coming to the assembly? She's been sick. She came in with a walker, came up the ramp, so overjoyed to be amongst the saints.

Do you know why she was there? I know you know. Because her heart's there. And where your heart is, your feet will always follow.

One of the sisters in one assembly, they called her Granny. He says, Granny, how come you're at all the meetings and we're strong and young, but we're not? Well, she says, it's the heart. Your heart, where your heart is, your feet will follow.

And so the Lord's reminding us, we've been bought with a price. We're no longer our own. And he says, you keep me as the apple of thine eye.

And then I come to Proverbs. He says, keep the commandments. Now, we're not under rites or rituals, but keep the teaching of the word of God.

The only change that's needed today, if any change is needed, that we make adjustments according to what the word of God says. God's way is always the best. God's methods are always the best.

And God's way always works. I bet not anybody here is an unhappy Christian. You know what I mean.

The Christian experience is not in the nervous system of the believer, but sometimes I meet beloved ones, and they're just not happy. And then the epidemic occurs, and they're not going to the meetings as much. And as I would spend time, or they would converse, you know what I'd ask them? And almost everyone has the same answer.

Are you reading, praying, and enjoying the Lord every day? No, I'm not. I'm not reading. I'm not reading anymore.

And then the epidemic continues, and I'm not coming. The Spirit of God has guided us with the way how you and I can be a happy Christian, if you want to label it that way. And it's to enjoy his word every day.

The older preachers used to tell me, and I know I'm old now because even where I'm staying today, they asked if I could do the stairs to go into the basement. Usually motels do that graciously. Sir, we don't have any rooms downstairs, but we have one upstairs, but we don't have an elevator.

Well, I said, that's quite all right. I still am able to get up the stairs. Well, I know I don't look that way, but that's okay.

But they used to tell us this book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book. You know, it's so true, so basic, so elementary. Did you ever take off running during the day and you didn't have the time to read, you should have, or you especially didn't have the time to pray before you left? It's some of the most difficult days occur.

Shame on me. No day is too busy not to start in some measure with God. I listened to Hugh Kelly one time at a suffrage conference, and he said, you know, they used to always tell me to read in the morning, and he says, I found out it just didn't work good.

I'm a night person. I'm not going to tell you what time of the day to read, but make sure there's a time set aside where nothing else comes in, and you can get alone with God and get a little nugget, and that little vitamin will carry you. Mr. John Fifth used to be a missionary in Venezuela.

He says, I used to work as a contractor, he says, I worked five and a half days of the week. I wouldn't work a whole Saturday because I couldn't concentrate well on the Lord's Day on what I should, but he says, I took a little paper out of my pocket as I ran the crew, and I looked at a little verse, and I enjoyed it, and it gave me strength to get through the day. I trust, beloved, that you and I enjoy the privilege of having his word, handling his word, and he wants us to keep his word as the apple of his eye.

It's vitamins that will strengthen us and encourage us, and establish us in a dark day, and then he says, do not let the apple of thine eye cease. Well, how would that happen? It's an epidemic, isn't it? We get distracted. We get too busy for the word or so.

You say it could never happen, but it does if we're honest, and he says, let not the apple of your eye cease. In Alberta, two-thirds of the marriages fail. In Arizona, 60 to 70 percent is the statistic.

What happened? They said they were in love. They said their vows. Something occurred.

Something got cold. Remember when you were first saved? I would have gone to Africa or anywhere if God wanted me. It didn't make any difference.

Trust it's the same today. He says, don't let the apple of your eye cease. You and I can cause it to cease, and the joy of the Lord is our strength, and when we lose our joy, we've lost our strength, and testimony is making God look great in the eyes of the world.

So if we're enjoying the apple of our eye, and we're walking with him, well, he says, I've got a promise for you. He's got a bodyguard that's going to guard us and keep us and protect us all along life's journey. In Zechariah, he that touches you, touches the apple of his eye.

You're precious to the Lord. He'll preserve us. He'll keep us.

We need not fear, because God is near. I know there's many dear ones I've met, exceedingly fearful of the virus. I make no bones about it.

It's nasty. I had it. It's real.

The effects of it can be very long-lasting. I respect it completely, but I do realize that God can protect us and watch over us. God can preserve us from sin.

God will not do what you and I can do ourselves. I rejoice that our times are in God's hands. But he'll protect.

He'll care. He'll keep. I was telling him the way over of a believer in a little town I've worked along the border in New Mexico.

He was so fearful of the virus, he wouldn't go out. Lived alone at the base of the mountain. The smugglers would come around.

And I says, Willis, how are you doing? He says, I'm very ill, John. I says, did you get the virus? No. He says, a thorn outside pricked my leg.

And I've got a very serious infection. And I says, well, can you get to the hospital? He says, I can't because they'll break in the house. I says, I'll come and guard the house while you go if you want.

No. He says, I'll be all right. He was so fearful of the virus, he wouldn't go out.

And a thorn caught him outside, and he's got a major infection. Our times are in God's hands. We rest in him.

We rely on him. You're the apple of his eye. And he'll protect you.

He'll watch over you. Whether you're away in the forest, or whether you're in the inner city, and the gun is held on you, and the gangs are around you, he's near. And if God be for us, who can be against us? So I leave with you, beloved, two minutes to eight.

You're the apple of God's eye. And might God help us to keep him as the apple of his eye, and to keep his word and his commandments as the apple of his eye, and to rest in the wonderful priestly promises that are found in the word of God. Let's pray.

Father, we humbly bow before thee and thank thee. Our hearts are touched.