Who We Are in His Eyes

Apples, clay and rubies.  Not your usual name for a blog.  Just ask my sixteen year old daughter.  I had to chuckle as she walked in my bedroom to see what I was doing, and when I told her she gave that questioning look as if to say, "You are doing what?"  Follow that up with her comment of "that is an odd name for a blog."  And with that she walked away.

Yes.  Yes it is an odd name for a blog, but normal is boring, right?  God had laid writing on my heart for a long time, and every time I would feel His Spirit prompting me I would push it off, telling Him that this couldn't be  what He wanted me to do.  I was too busy to do it now, maybe later after I did this and this and this.  But that is a post for another time.

Let's just say that God made it pretty clear that this girl was no longer to push His will off, but instead to trust Him and follow His promptings.  So here I was, excited and scared to death at the same time to finally be taking the step out on the water to begin this blog.  Thank goodness He is right here by my side, keeping my feet from sinking as Peter's did when he stepped out of the boat.  The problem was that I needed a title, one that I could use as the address, one that was not already taken.  And no matter how hard I tried, I kept hitting a brick wall.  The "this address is not available" brick wall.  UGH.

After our latest snow storm, which had crippled our county and left me without power for 16 hours, I spent a quiet morning with the Lord in prayer.  And as I sat in our basement staring at the logs burning in the wood stove, I told the Lord that if He really wanted me to create this blog, He needed to give me a title that would work and get me through the "this address is not available" brick wall.  Needless to say, watch what you ask God for, because as quickly as I spoke those words "apples, clay, and rubies" dropped into my mind and I began to cry.  Because I knew at that moment in my spirit that the title and address were going to work.

And here I am, a novice blogger just trying to obey the Spirit's promptings to share what He places on my heart.


So what's the deal with the blog title:  apples, clay, and rubies?

Sisters, all of these are what we are in God's eyes.

David writes in Psalm 17:8, "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings."  This same phrase, "as the apple of the/His eye", is also found in the song of Moses found in Exodus 32 as Moses talks in verse 10 of God leading His people through the "desert land" and wilderness while keeping them "as the apple of His eye".  "Apple of the eye" is a Hebrew metaphor expressing something greatly valued and dear, precious and important.  Believers today are God's beloved, precious and loved by the Father.  We are recipients of His love and favor as we believe, trust, and obey Him.  Hence we are the "apple of His eye".

Now what about clay?  How does clay go with apples and rubies?  I am sure there are some who may see where I am leading.

 Isaiah writes in Isaiah 64:8, "But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thine hand."  Not only are we the "apple of His eye", but we are clay in His hands.  For as Job says, God has made us as clay from the dust (Job 10:9).  We, sisters, are His workmanship.  Some days we may not feel like it.  You and I both know it.  The days when we we feel beaten, cracked, with pieces missing or on the floor around us.  But in the end we can rest in knowing that we are clay in His masterful hands, hands that are continually reforming us, mending and smoothing, so that we are the vessels He means for us to be....beautiful vessels, vessels of honor to accomplish His will and bring Him glory.

I don't know about you, but I believe that makes being clay more than worth it.

Aaah.  Last but not least.  Rubies.

 How many times as women of God have we heard reference to Proverbs 31?  Did you sigh, wondering if you would ever be that woman?  Did you cringe, feeling as if you were being burdened with an unrealistic expectation?  Or maybe your response was something different.  I have heard many different responses from women I know at the mention of the Proverbs 31 woman.  But here is the part I would like to focus on quite simply, and that is verse 10 where it is written "who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

It is easy to go reading the remainder of Proverbs 31 and feel as if an unrealistic expectation is being placed before you.  But truly this is not the case, for the "virtuous woman" the writer is speaking of is simply a woman whose life is centered around a reverent fear of God (v. 30), a compassion for those in need (v. 19-20), and faithfulness and love toward her  family (v.27).  The Proverbs 31 woman served God, her family, and others with the ability and material resources God had blessed her with.  She is no different than you and I as women of God today, who serve God, our families, and those in need with all the Father has blessed us with.  Therefore we are that Proverbs 31 woman, and we are worth far more than rubies.

So the next time you feel unimportant, cracked and broken, and of little worth, remember who you are in His eyes, the eyes of Our Father in Heaven.  For it is who you are in His eyes that matters.

You are the apple of His eye, the clay on His potter's wheel which He is forming into a beautiful vessel of honor, and you are worth much more than rubies!