The Gaze

There are times when I feel prompted to post a new entry to this blog with only a vague sense of what I am going to write.
This is one of those times.

I know I am suppose to write something about God's eyelids, so here it goes!

Eyelids, you ask?
Yes, eyelids!

During my reading this morning I was taken to the Eleventh Psalm.
As I read it, I realized that I was following the devotional material from yesterday, which I had read already.
Thus the Scripture was not the passage for today.

It was no mistake.

I had journaled about the Psalm the day before.  Could there be something else here just one day later?
Did Papa have more to say to me?
Oh, yes.

Verse four was where He stopped me.

"The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men."

Okay, I know where His throne is and wherever He is the place is holy just by His Presence.

It was the second half of the verse that I needed to examine more closely.

The Almighty God sees everything, He doesn't miss a thing.  He is very observant, but what does the part about His eyelids mean??

I checked out the concordance and the translation is correct.  We are talking about His eyelids.

It was time to pull out a couple of other translations.  My usual version is the New American Standard, as it is an excellent translaiton, but using others helps give me a fuller understanding at times.

The New International Version says,

"He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them."

King James puts it this way;

"His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men."

These two, as well as the Amplified Version did not move me any closer to a deeper understand.
However, Eugene Peterson's The Message not only gave me understanding, but stunned me.  I will quote the full verse, for it drew the entire picture for me.

"But God hasn't moved to the mountains, His holy address hasn't changed.  He's in charge, as always, His eyes taking everything in, His eyelids unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood."

With the reading of this I became acutely aware of His gaze.
His unblinking gaze.

His eyelids do not lower, but keep fully open so Papa sees the whole picture.
It not only the picture He sees in its entirety, but all of me, heart and soul.

I felt His gaze reaching to my very core.

All I could do was bow my head in silence.

His gaze stirred fear and relief in me.
For a message was carried in that Holy gaze.

He knows all about me.
And He understands.
It isn't all lovely, but He is making it so.
Trust Him.
Rest in Him.
Obey Him.

I am accepted in the Beloved and nothing will change that.
Nothing.

This reminds me of something I wrote about before.

Looking up into His gaze I see me reflected there.
Me, the apple of His eye!

Oh, Papa, what lovely, unblinking eyelids!
Oh, Papa, gaze away!



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