Psalm 8:1.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Psalm 17. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind at verses 8 and 15:

Psalms 17:8 ¶ Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

The apple of the eye? Awake with His likeness? What could be better than that: live your life on this side as the apple of His eye, die, then awake in His likeness. Very cool!

Along the still waters, I reflected on this. Dr. Beckum provides some helpful insight into the expression “apple of the eye” in his notes on Psalm 17 in his Intercessor Prayer Bible (p. 818—Prayer As An Argument).* You probably instinctively know it means something or someone you cherish. When facing someone, if you look into their pupil, you will notice a small reflection of yourself mirrored there. Now imagine seeing yourself in God’s eye! That could never happen unless you sought and found His face, and found favor in His eyes (see 2 Samuel 15:25; Song 8:10; see also Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8; for seeking His face: 1 Chronicles 16:11; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 27:8; 105:4; Daniel 9:3; see Hosea 5:15).

His Word is His law and commandments, and in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God (John 1:1; Genesis 1:1). Our Father would have His Word to be the apple of our eye: “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye” (Proverbs 7:2). He desires to see Himself in the “apple of [your] eye.” When He does, you’ll see yourself as the apple of His.

We look into His eye, and we see our image there. He looks into ours and sees the image of His Son there. When He lays us to our rest in Christ, we are confident we will not perish (1 Corinthians 15:18), “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). On that day, He will “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). Then we will see Him as He is, for we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2).

Yea, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).

In the valley, I heard the voice of my Shepherd: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). I followed! The Spirit reminded me that the Word, Who was made flesh, was made like me, that I might be made like Him (Philippians 2:5-11). I must present this body to Him, a living sacrifice, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:1-2). His transformation was completed on His Cross; I meet Him there: “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). Selah!

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed us into the harvest!

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v6y5xl8-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Go to www.theIntercessor.org, select All Products, and find. The Intercessor Prayer Bible.]