“For thus says the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye." (Zechariah 2:8 ESV)
When I was growing up, I always thought my mother had eyes in the back of her head. She seemed to be able to smell a bad attitude or a lie a mile away.
But she also was always trying to catch me doing something good. We had a close and loving relationship, and although I knew better than to ever lie to her, I always knew she was my greatest advocate. She adored me, not with any sort of silly indulgence, but with a genuine pride in what she knew I could and would become. Any discipline--and there was little--was to move out of the way anything that could keep me from being the terrific kid she knew I was at heart.
I am so grateful to her. It has never been hard for me to understand that God, too, not only is sad when we violate the safety laws, he put in place to protect us, also keeps track of every positive thing we've ever done and brings them up every chance He gets when we get discouraged with ourselves. "You are the apple of my eye," are the words our Father is most likely to say about and to us. He sacrificed His own Son so that He could say it more.
