More on Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye;”

And in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”

How does the Father love the Son? Most foundationally, the Father loves the Son because God IS love; He can never not love. His love is “agape,” that is, it does not depend on the response of the loved one. Whatever we may do, God’s love will not stop flowing to us.

Now, here’s the point: as the Father loves the Son, so Jesus loves us!!! This is an astounding, beautiful, transforming and wonderful truth, too good to be true--and yet it is true for all believers. This is because Jesus has purchased us and given us His righteousness, His guiltless record and His holiness. Read that list above again, beginning with, “God loves me……”

As John exulted in 1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

So, we don’t have to try and live off the love others give us; instead we can live out of the Love God gives us, being confident in His acceptance, forgiveness and liking us! Then we can love, forgive and like ourselves! 

We can rest in His love, abide in His love and revel in His love because it is wide like this field, secure, eternal and wholehearted. It is not based on us but upon His unchanging, all powerful nature. We ARE the apple of His eye!]