Back in the 1970’s my home town started a festival called Old Joe Clark Days. It honored the man from there who was a bluegrass performer at Renfro Valley, Kentucky for many years.
Since then the name of the celebration was changed to the Apple Festival. A civic organization started a contest called the Apple Dumplin’ contest where parents would put their children’s picture on containers and place them in stores weeks before the contest. During the festival there was a container for each child set up downtown. The child that had the most money put in all its containers became the Apple Dumplin’. I am sure the mother and father of each child would say that child was the apple of his or her eye. This means that he loves that child so much that he would do anything for that child, even give his own life if that child was in danger.
There is someone that loves each one of us this much. He sent his own son to die for each of us so that we would not have to die spiritually:
John 3:16 (CEV) 16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. [1]
If you surrender your life to Jesus Christ then you are a child of God. God the Father then says that you are the apple of His eye:
Zechariah 2:8 (NASB95) 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. [2]
The original Hebrew for “apple of the eye” really means the pupil of the eye. You would do anything to protect your pupil and so God will protect you as the apple of his eye. He loves you and knows what is best for you. You may not believe that He is there right now but He is ready to act on your behalf.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) 17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” [3]
Can you believe that God will rejoice over you with singing? You may know what it feels like when you are rejoicing over God in your singing. He feels the same way about you. I can’t wait to hear Him singing to me when I get to heaven.
There is no competition between Christians in God’s sight. Each one of us is the apple of His eye. Each one of us is His little apple dumplin’.
By Dean Masters
Unedited redistribution approved.
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