Tag: #Christian

A Life seeing the Heart of the Lord

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:2-11

We all know this story. Most people remember this story as there is something within us that remembers the sins of others. Also, this story shows how we ask the wrong questions. Many times I have heard this story and the speculation of “what did Jesus write on the ground?” Maybe we should ask “why did Jesus write on the ground?”. I believe that Jesus wrote on the ground to take their eyes off of the woman. She was caught in adultery so there was a great possibility that she was not clothed properly. Jesus did not want to look at the woman and He saw her heart that she felt shamed in not only for what she had done but also for how she was not dressed appropriately. Jesus knew that everyone would be wanting to know what He was writing. What a beautiful picture of grace. He did not “disgrace” her but showed her love and grace. The Bible says that Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to disgrace Mary when he thought that she had been unfaithful to Him. Love and righteousness does not disgrace. His grace for the “woman caught in adultery” gave time for someone to give her something (maybe a blanket) to cover herself up. 

Jesus was full was “grace and truth”. It is not enough to just be full of grace but we must be full of truth as well. Jesus did not overlook her sin and neither did He overlook the sins of the men who brought her to Him. The next question is “what did He write on the ground?” By this time, the crowd had gotten larger. We don’t know how many were there but people seem to always be curious when a crowd gathers, even though one of the things that the Lord hates is “feet that run rapidly to evil”. Maybe not everyone could read what Jesus was writing on the ground so there is a good chance that He read it to them. “He who is without sin among you, let him first to throw a stone at her.” If He read it to them then they all would know what He was writing. The older we get the more sin we know we have committed and so beginning with the older ones, they all walked away. They began by judging her and Jesus, in His gracious way, allowed them to end by judging themselves. Judgment involves condemnation. Jesus also saw that she was filled with fear. These men wanted her killed. Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”. At that moment, this woman’s life was changed. How do we know? She addressed Jesus as Lord. She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” Not only did He take away her shame but He took away her fears.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation. When Jesus becomes our Lord then He also becomes our Savior. Our sin is taken away and we are to “sin no more”. The Lord also takes away our fears when He takes our condemnation.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

Jesus Christ is the only One who can take our condemnation for He took the judgment that we deserved. He is the only One who can set us free from our sin and give us life.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2.

Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” John 1. The sin in all of us is that we want to be our own lord. It is not until Jesus takes away our sin, can we be saved from our sins. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Once Jesus takes away our sin then we become “one of His people” and He sets us free and saves us from our sins. Everyone’s sins look different. This woman’s sin was adultery but we are all guilty of many sins.

This story because it is a picture of me. Jesus forgave my sin and He saved me from my sins. How can we not love and trust Him with all of our heart, soul and mind? There is none like Him.

. 

A Life seeing the Heart of the Lord

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:2-11

We all know this story. Most people remember this story as there is something within us that remembers the sins of others. Also, this story shows how we ask the wrong questions. Many times I have heard this story and the speculation of “what did Jesus write on the ground?” Maybe we should ask “why did Jesus write on the ground?”. I believe that Jesus wrote on the ground to take their eyes off of the woman. She was caught in adultery so there was a great possibility that she was not clothed properly. Jesus did not want to look at the woman and He saw her heart that she felt shamed in not only for what she had done but also for how she was not dressed appropriately. Jesus knew that everyone would be wanting to know what He was writing. What a beautiful picture of grace. He did not “disgrace” her but showed her love and grace. The Bible says that Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to disgrace Mary when he thought that she had been unfaithful to Him. Love and righteousness does not disgrace. His grace for the “woman caught in adultery” gave time for someone to give her something (maybe a blanket) to cover herself up. 

Jesus was full was “grace and truth”. It is not enough to just be full of grace but we must be full of truth as well. Jesus did not overlook her sin and neither did He overlook the sins of the men who brought her to Him. The next question is “what did He write on the ground?” By this time, the crowd had gotten larger. We don’t know how many were there but people seem to always be curious when a crowd gathers, even though one of the things that the Lord hates is “feet that run rapidly to evil”. Maybe not everyone could read what Jesus was writing on the ground so there is a good chance that He read it to them. “He who is without sin among you, let him first to throw a stone at her.” If He read it to them then they all would know what He was writing. The older we get the more sin we know we have committed and so beginning with the older ones, they all walked away. They began by judging her and Jesus, in His gracious way, allowed them to end by judging themselves. Judgment involves condemnation. Jesus also saw that she was filled with fear. These men wanted her killed. Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”. At that moment, this woman’s life was changed. How do we know? She addressed Jesus as Lord. She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” Not only did He take away her shame but He took away her fears.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation. When Jesus becomes our Lord then He also becomes our Savior. Our sin is taken away and we are to “sin no more”. The Lord also takes away our fears when He takes our condemnation.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

Jesus Christ is the only One who can take our condemnation for He took the judgment that we deserved. He is the only One who can set us free from our sin and give us life.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2.

Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” John 1. The sin in all of us is that we want to be our own lord. It is not until Jesus takes away our sin, can we be saved from our sins. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Once Jesus takes away our sin then we become “one of His people” and He sets us free and saves us from our sins. Everyone’s sins look different. This woman’s sin was adultery but we are all guilty of many sins.

This story because it is a picture of me. Jesus forgave my sin and He saved me from my sins. How can we not love and trust Him with all of our heart, soul and mind? There is none like Him.

. 

A Life that Knows the Truth

One of the greatest joys in the Christian life is to learn the “truth of the words of truth” so that we will be able to return “words of truth to Him who sent us”. 

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
That they may be ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, even you.
Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
To make you know the truth of the words of truth
That you may return words of truth to him who sent you? Proverbs 22:17-21

The Lord tells us that if we will keep His Word within us then the Word of God will become even more pleasant to us. The Lord is so good to us to show us the “truth of the words of truth” and He wants us to return “words of truth” to Him when we see Him and give an account of our life.

Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Not only does the Word become pleasant to us but when we look to the Lord to feed us spiritually then His Word becomes a joy to us. If you want to thrive in your relationship with the Lord then learn to feed on His Word. It will become a joy to you and the delight of your heart.

A Life that Looks Intently Sees Clearly

One of the miracles that Jesus did was when they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Jesus had to lay his hands on the blind man twice. This miracle is so interesting and fascinating. Did something go wrong with the miracle that Jesus had to do it twice? We know that Jesus does all things well and that He did not do a partial miracle.

“And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. Mark 8:22-25

The first time the blind man was touched he looked at men and only saw partially. The second time that Jesus touched the man, the man looked intently at Jesus and saw clearly. How do we know this? Because the only way we will see clearly is if we look intently at Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” the Scripture says in John 1. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. The Holy Spirit enlightens His Word and when we look intently at His Word and abide by it then we see clearly. When we learn to sit at the feet of Jesus then we allow Him to teach us through His Word and by His Spirit. If we are still mostly receiving our food from other Christians then we will remain babies in Christ and won’t learn to eat of the meat of the Word of God that we might grow to maturity. When we look to men, even godly men, then we will only see partially.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25

When we look intently at the perfect Law of liberty, which is the Word of God, then not only will we grow to maturity but the Lord promises to bless us in what we do. The importance of God’s commands is punctuated by the greatness of His rewards. The Lord wants us to learn to live according to His Word and if we will do it then He promises to bless us in what we do. 

A Life that Knows It’s Greatest Need

The greatest need of every human is to have the correct view of God. Everything that we do in life is a response to our view of God. The enemy only has one weapon and that is the lie. He uses the same schemes in every generation and in the church and in the world of nonbelievers. If he can distort or twist the correct view of God then he has won the battle because then our actions will be perverted or twisted and destruction will result.

Life can be difficult especially during the storms of life. This is a time when the destroyer would love to get a foothold in your mind. It is important to have the right view of God before the storms come.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:25

The enemy seeks to rob Christians of peace and joy through his lies. He seeks to kill our joy, steal our peace and destroy our effectiveness. He does this through lies. He also seeks to put doubts in our minds as he did with Eve. “Did God really say?” says the enemy of our soul. The Lord says that it is “through His precious and magnificent promises that we escape the corruption that is in the world through lusts.” The word “lust” in the Greek is the same word as “desire”. A “desire” becomes a lust when it is a desire outside of the will of God. It usually is something that is good within the will of God, such as sexual intimacy, eating, etc. For this reason, it is crucial that we continually surrender our “desires” to the Lord and say as Jesus said, “Thy will be done”.

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:14-17

This is the context of “every good and perfect gift”. However, before this the Lord talks about how blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

Your greatest struggles will come in the trials and storms of life because we want them to stop and we long for peaceful circumstances. So, the Lord is telling us to persevere and if we do not get carried away by what we want then He will give us His good and perfect gift (which is His will, which there is nothing we can add to it and nothing that we can take from it to make it better). However, even before He tells us to persevere in the trial He tells us to glory in our high position in Christ and not to glory in our circumstances even when they are good.

“but the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position”. James 1

And even before that He gives us instruction what to do in the midst of trials and that is to ask Him for wisdom. His precious and magnificent promise is that He will give “to all men generously”. (even when we mess up He will still give it when we ask, that is what it means by “without reproach”).

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

However, the Lord also gives us the condition in which we must ask. We must ask in faith, without any doubting, “for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, being a double minded man” This brings us to heart of the matter. What is a “double minded” man. He is one who does not have a pure heart ( Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8) and the Lord says. “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. A double minded man is saying to himself, “Should I do this?” or “Should I do that?”. He is still leaning on his own understanding. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body. Proverbs 3:5-8

Not only when we trust in the Lord with all of our heart will we know His will but it will also be healing to our body.

A Life that has Gladness

Everyone longs for the same things in life, no matter what the circumstances they are experiencing or their stage in life. All of us want to have peace, quietness and confidence and feel glad about life. Gladness is different from joy. Gladness comes from loving righteousness and helps to sustain us when we are weary and we feel all alone. Gladness is what characterized our Lord. Jesus had more gladness than any man on earth when He walked among men. 

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.” Hebrews 1:9

This verse was written about our Lord. 

Gladness is loving righteousness and we do what we love. When we have done “it” right, whatever it is that you needed to do, whether it is paying your bills or raising children or loving your spouse then we have gladness. Doing life right is righteousness. The Lord Jesus gave us His righteousness but also wants us to live according to His righteousness by faith. He also gave us His commandments so that we would know how to live righteously. 

“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18.

When we do what is right then not only will we have gladness but we will have peace, quietness and confidence.

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

Not only did gladness and righteousness characterize our Lord but the Lord mentions three men who could deliver themselves by their righteousness.

“even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their righteousness they could deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 14

Why did the Lord mention these three men and not some of the other godly men of the Old Testament? I don’t know but maybe it is because these three men were all alone and their journey was long. They did not become weary and lose heart. They had a peace, a quietness and a confidence in the Lord. They loved righteousness and the the righteous shall live by faith. They lived by faith and were found to be pleasing to the Lord. 

A Life that Does Not Lose Heart

When the storm was raging and the disciples were struggling they woke Jesus. 

And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” Matthew 8:25

Jesus, however, did not reprove them for being afraid but He reproved them for not coming to Him sooner. 

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Matthew 8:26a

The Greek word is not “afraid” but it is the word for “timid”. This word is only used four times in the New Testament. (Twice for this storm, once in Timothy, “He has not given us a spirit of timidity” and once in Revelation at judgment for the unbelievers who didn’t come to Him). He was saying to the disciples, “why didn’t you come to Me sooner”. 

God’s truths are like diamonds. They have many facets. We often look at a truth from one or a few of the facets. However, the Lord wants us to hold the truth in our hands like a diamond and examine it closely and to cherish it. He wants us to know all of the facets of the truth and to love the truth, to meditate on the truth, to think the truth, to live the truth and to share the truth. Faith is one of the great truths in the Christian life.

One of the facets of faith is simply “coming to Jesus”. Nearly every time He did a miracle, He said, “your faith has made you well”. What He was saying was that “you, coming to Me is what saved you”. When we pray we are coming to Him in prayer.

The prayer of the upright is His delight. Prov. 15:8b.

One of the facets of grace is “the invitation to come to Him”.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” Eph2:8

We usually only think of this verse in reference to eternal salvation. But we need salvation every moment of every day. Our salvation today comes through coming to Him because His grace invites us to come to the throne of grace to find help and mercy in our time of need. “He is a present help in time of need”. He will help you every step of the way. Just keep coming to Him.

“There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.
“The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms; Deuteronomy 33:26,27a

“So Israel dwells in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drop down dew.
“Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty! Deuteronomy 33:28,29a

A Life that Understands God’s Will

God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

there is nothing to add to it and nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.” Ecc.3:14

God’s will is good. That means that it is the highest form and expression of love. God’s will is acceptable. That means that His will is holy and acceptable to Him. God’s will is perfect. That means that there is nothing that we can add to it to make it better and there is nothing that we can take from it to make it better. 

The Lord is all powerful, He is all knowing, He is understanding and wisdom and His love is perfect. It was possible according to God’s power to “remove the cup of suffering” from Jesus. So when Jesus prayed, “Father, if possible…”. Jesus knew that it was possible according to the power of the Father to remove it. However, It would not have been loving, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. When Jesus prayed, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me”. He knew that His God and Father had not forsaken Him because He had promised to raise Him up. Jesus laid aside all of His God powers when He became a man but He knew God’s Word and His promises and knew that He could trust His God and Father even when His desires and feelings were different. He walked by faith and trusted God in the darkness. 

Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith; Proverbs 25:4.

When the dross is taken out of the silver, the silver has been put through the fire to purify it. When it goes through and comes out of the fire, it is not a vessel but it is a liquid. The silver can not see what it will become in the hands of the silversmith. It is a liquid and has felt the heat. However, the Lord, who chooses what to do with the silver sees the vessel and what He wants to do with it. The Lord tells us to be “vessels for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master”. The Lord has a plan for his children. He says of the godly, that they will still bear fruit even in old age. The Lord sees the vessel that He is making. As you go through the fire, remember that He is loving and all powerful and all knowing. He understands what needs to be done. The vessel He is making is for all eternity. His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark. You will see His lovingkindness and His faithfulness as you continue to stay under His wings. 

A Life Married to a King

How sweet it is to be married to a king. Every woman who is married to a king is a queen. It is an honor and a privilege to be married to a king. It is the wife who makes her husband a king. The Bible says that an excellent wife is the crown of her husband.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, Proverbs 12:4a

Any wife can be married to a king but it is the wife who determines the kingship of her husband. She is the one who enthrones her husband. She enthrones her husband with her praise.

Yet You are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3

The wife is to be a picture of God’s people, the church. Just as the Lord delights in the praise of His people so a husband delights in the praise of his wife. It is pleasant to him and becoming to her.

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming. Psalm 147:1

An excellent wife is a wife who does her husband good all of the days of her life. Her praise does her husband good and encourages and stimulates him to become the husband that the Lord designed him to be.

An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12

When a wife is an excellent wife then she increases her worth to her husband and her own self worth grows as she becomes the wife that God designed her to be. Her worth is far above jewels. Her husband will trust in her and he will treat her like a queen, as every wife longs to be treated.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Praise is pleasant to a man. Her husband will love to be with her when her words are pleasant. It will keep him from the temptations of an adulteress woman who flatters with her lips. Praise and flattery sound the same but it is the motive. Praise is to build up and flattery is to manipulate. A man needs praise and will go where he is praised. However, he can not see through the manipulations of the flattery of an adulteress.

To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; Proverbs 2:16

The opposite of praise is shame. A wife who shames her husband is bitterness to him. It is rottenness to his bones. It is difficult for a man to be around a wife who shames him. He will have no joy and will want to escape.

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones. Proverbs 12:4

A man has given a woman the greatest honor when he proposes marriage to her. He is asking her to be his queen. Every man wants to be a king and he wants to marry the woman he proposes to because he thinks that she loves him and will honor and respect him. If for no other reason a wife should honor her husband with praise by wanting him to be a king because he has first honored her in asking her to be his queen.

A Life of Freedom from the Fear of Man

The Bible says that the fear of man brings a snare. It is an oppressive feeling to live in the fear of someone else. Only the Lord can set us free from the fear of man.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

As you learn to trust Him then you will see that you do not have to be afraid of man.

Psalm 56:10,11 In God, whose word I praise,
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Only the fear of the Lord can set you free from the fear of man. If you fear Him then you need not have to fear anyone else.

Psalm 112:1 Praise the Lord! How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments.

The Lord wants to teach you to fear Him through His Word.

Psalm 119:38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.

You are blessed if people revile you because you are a Christian. Do not be intimidated. Remember who you are, a child of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,

The Lord does not want you to fear anyone but if you live according to His ways then people will fear the Lord by not wanting you around when they do evil.

Deuteronomy 11:25 No man will be able to stand before you; the Lord your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you.

However, you must look to the Lord and not to others. He will protect you and be your defense. He will never forsake you but will help you when you need Him.

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?

If you do not fear the Lord then often times you will be tempted to have irrational fears.

Psalm 53:4,5 Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge,
Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God?
There they were in great fear where no fear had been;

Finally, the Lord Himself is for you.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

You are the apple of His eye.

Zechariah 2:8 …for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.