Apple of His Eyes

By Annabelle Ragsac

Most people around us see us, singles, as loveless. We do not have someone special or we are special to no one. Or worse, they even judge us as wanting and unhappy individuals. Do we really see ourselves as such? Do we feel that way... loveless and dejected singles?

As children of God, we always know and believe the love and concern of God for us. However, many children of God do not genuinely grasp or deeply realize the depth and profound reality of God's love. A lot of Christians deny themselves the fullness of deep joy and satisfaction that really should be theirs, simply because they either do not appreciate or are not able to understand the very special relationship that should exist between them and God Himself. Our fallen nature dictates that we always look or concentrate on something that is lacking in us. The society’s norm is sometimes our standard and model.

What I want to emphasize here is how our Father sees us and His very special quality of love toward us. The Bible implies that both the ancient Israel and the true New Testament God’s people or the Church are considered the apple of God’s eye or His peculiar treasure (Deut. 7:6-8; Titus 2:11-14; I Pet. 2:1-9). Do you really believe that you are personally the apple of God s eye? Do you actually feel you are beloved of God? Or is the love of God more of a concept or an abstract notion to you? As a Christian, I firmly believe that I am the apple of His eyes. That is always the hope I raise or invoke every time I face hardship or unfair treatment from unbelievers. I find my value because of that benefit and I feel special to someone who is very special! Such is the case with you and me and all who are so specially loved by the Father.

In my secular job, there were times I experienced unjust treatment from my superiors. I also encountered deceits or backstabbing from my colleagues. My encouragement always is the thought that I know that My Father loves me so much, that I am the apple of His eyes. “...for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye ...’(Zech 2:8). I enjoyed thinking that if God is for me, who can be against me. Who will bring any charge against those whom God hath chosen? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom. 8). Who will have the last laugh?

I believe my Father can overturn an event or shake the whole agency where I am working just for MY sake, or just for the sake of any single Christian! Yes, our God can open any door anywhere just for us and He will do what is right for us. Indeed, God Himself promises to fight for us. I cannot say these things if I did not experience how the hands of God moved especially just for MY sake. But such great privilege means great responsibility. We will enjoy such as long as we are living right with God, as long as we do not refuse His role in our lives.

Are you also enjoying that very special feeling of being loved, of being close to and highly prized by God Himself? God supremely loves more than you and I could ever possibly imagine. He never ceases to love us. It is by His grace that he loves us that much. Yes, the Father of the Saints absolutely loves and we are His beloved!

Youth’s Journey with the Spirit

Every time I hear “Samuel”, a name given to any young male Christian entering the full time ministry in CBC, I am reminded of Hannah who made a vow to give her son to the Lord (1 Samuel 1,2). I have been blessed by her life and have empathized with her predicament, yet I have never learned that the step of faith she made was a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in her (1:15b).

I once thought because of cultural background, that concept never applies to me. Then the Lord spoke to me while working with you young people who sometimes call me “Nanay, Ate, Ma’am/Mom or Tita Bing.” Through this ministry I can also share the life of mothers. I have seen their grief over a rebellious daughter with an unsaved boyfriend, a pregnant daughter still in school, a son who is addicted to computer games, pornography, smoking or drugs. I have also seen sons and daughters becoming disheartened because their parents would not support their interest for the Lord’s work

Here was the key to Hannah’s satisfying life. She did not live superficially that ultimately led to faith falling apart. When she was filled with the Holy Spirit, she was mistaken as being drunk with wine. Her heart was in deep relationship with God allowing Him to guide each step of her life. And the result was a heart rejoicing in the Lord in chapter 2.

Oftentimes, I seek the advise of our Pastor’s wife as I encountered odd situations a youth is going through. I need the wisdom of motherly understanding. Ate Eden would share to me that at times she too is fearful of the thought that “what if my children are not really called in the endeavor we encouraged them to do which is geared to the fulltime ministry that we have asked God to call them to?” But we would part ways agreeing that walking by the Holy Spirit relieves anyone from crippling fears.

I was inspired when brother Joel Dayrit (one of the Samuels) showed me his baby picture with his parents. It was taken when they dedicated him to the Lord. He pasted it at the back of his Bible to remind him of his parents’ prayer for him to be called by God. I have never met his parents but with deep admiration especially for his mother, I whispered a prayer that the Holy Spirit be victorious in each step of Joel’s life. How blessed also is Ate Joy because her Lester has entered the ministry to be your full-time “kuya” in the youth ministry. I wish Robin’s mother too would experience joy for a son who left secular schooling to enter the Bible school.

These young men’s decisions were not human manipulations but rather a choice they made allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them. I realized that the reason I don’t have a faith like Hannah is because I have in my personal and ministerial life, thoughts and deeds which I don’t want to give up to God. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means allowing God to have more of us daily even when part of us is not ready to do so because we want God’s presence more than anything else.