Psalm 17:8 – Knowing God's Closeness Quiets Fear

“Keep me as the apple of your eye.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭17‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When you think of God, do you picture him as far off or close by?

If you picture him as far off, where do you see Him? Maybe He’s peeking out over the clouds or using His unlimited vision to glimpse at us from beyond outer space. He could simply be looking down from Heaven, however high up there that may be.

If you picture him as close by, how close is He? In the building? In the room? By your side?

Our perceived proximity to God can affect how we deal with our circumstances. The farther away we feel like God is, the more our fear may be magnified. This can be especially true if we've felt his closeness before, and then He seems nowhere near.

Yet in a time of fear, the psalmist prays God would keep him as the apple of His eye. This Hebrew idiom can be understood as us being the little, precious person in the apple-shaped pupil of God’s eye. If we could look into His eye, we could see ourselves reflected in His very pupil. He is that close.

If you took this image to heart, what would it do to your fear? Perhaps you're awaiting test results for a medical issue. Maybe your job has become unstable. Or like the psalmist, there could be a person who's threatening your well-being.

As the apple of His eye, you can trust that God is right there with you as your advocate. He cares about you deeply, and he's more powerful than anything you face. You can trust he'll strengthen you to deal with your fear.

What are you afraid of today? How could it help to remember you're the apple of God's eye?