“I will guide you with my eye.”

In Psalms 32, David writes about repentance, forgiveness, and God’s guidance.  RFG (repent, forgive, guidance) comes in that order.  Notice, I’m starting my own set of initials.  My manager at work loves these things.  We have COP, SED, BOM, CIF, FOB, ISF, etc.   We have quizzes on these things.  Don’t worry, there will be no quizzes, but I hope you will search your heart and meditate on the Word.  Now, let’s go back to RFG and Psalms 32.  Verses 1 through 5 is about what sin does to our lives: “my bones grew old through my groaning” and “my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”   Sin can be unbearable, but we can acknowledge and repent.  Get if off your chest.  Let God take it away with the assurance that the sin is covered.  It is covered, because Jesus covered it with His blood, and we know that God forgives and forgets.  God not only forgives our sins, He guides us through each trial and each day.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.” (8)   Oh!  The promise of being guided with God’s eye takes faith and trust.  When I taught the junior age Sunday School Class, I was challenged.  I never knew what I would be facing each Sunday.  As a teacher, I took time to get to know my students.  You never know what fears and troubles a young person faces.  It can be family issues or social issues with peers.  I prayed a lot.  I prayed for each student every day.  I wanted to see them as Jesus saw them.  I prayed, “Lord, let me see and love these students as you see and love them.”  I wanted to see them through the eyes of Jesus.  I needed God to guide me with his eyes.  In order to teach, I committed myself to wait on the Lord to instruct me and lead.  This took faith.  We can’t be guided by God without trusting and believing.

“Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.” (9)  In order to follow, the horse or mule has to be restrained so they can be controlled.  The harness is used to attach a plow or small carriage to the horse, the bridle may have blinders so the horse will not be distracted, and the bit helps with balancing the effects of reins.  The harness, bridle, and bit are needed to help control and lead the horse or mule.  Since the horse and mule can’t trust their guide, they have to be controlled with the bridle and bit.  God wants us to trust Him and let Him guide us with His eye.  When we trust and believe, we follow in faith with no need of restraints.

“But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy will surround him.” (10)  God’s love is so great that he forgives us of our sins and shows us His mercy.  We may deserve punishment, but He forgives.   He forgives the smallest sin and the largest, because they are all the same to Him, sin.  I know a missionary who was into drugs before he was saved.  After his salvation, he felt guilty for the lives he led away from God to a life of drug addiction.  He let that guilt control him for a while until he realized that God had better things for him than to be bridled and harnessed with guilt.  He had to lay it all at the altar and let the Holy Spirit work in him.  God’s mercy surrounded him and gave him peace.  God lead him into full time ministry where he was free, not bridled, but guided by the eyes of God.

Repented, forgiven, and guided (RFG) by a God who loves me.  I believed and was “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Ephesians 1:13)  He promised to guide me with His eyes and He sealed it with the promise of the Holy Spirit.  He is still working on me and I’m looking forward for my next adventure with Him.