I recently led a Bible study from Acts 13 that mentioned David was the apple of God’s eye. That verse got me thinking about what made David the apple of God’s eye. This series is going to look at David’s life, attitudes, and habits so that you and I can be more pleasing to God and hopefully become more of an apple of His eye. Don’t expect this study to be in any particular order, we’re just going to see where the Scripture leads us, starting with the Psalms.
David always kept his eyes toward God
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. (Psalm 25:15)
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. (Psalm 16:7–8)
When you said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” (Psalm 27:8)
But my eyes are fixed on you, O GOD the Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless! (Psalm 141:8)
David kept his eyes and life focus on God. Keeping your eyes on God will keep you from trouble and temptation. Staying focused on God will keep you from being distracted by the world, will help you to resist the devil and submit to God, keep you from sinning, and help you to keep the right priorities and perspective in life. We all know what happened to David when he took his focus off God and placed it on Bathsheba.
Keep your focus on God! Make it a life goal to keep your eyes on Him every moment of every day.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1–2)
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1–2)
Focusing on God is a great way to fulfill what Jesus told us about keeping our eyes pure in the Sermon on the mount:
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22–23)
As you keep your sight on God, you are keeping your eyes and your spirit pure and healthy.
Stay focused on God.
David was a praying man
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. (Psalm 5:3)
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. (Psalm 17:6)
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. (Psalm 18:6)
To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: (Psalm 30:8)
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
Hear my a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! (Psalm 17:1–2)
David was a praying man. He began his day praying and watched throughout the day for God to answer his prayer. Jesus prayed a lot … short prayers, long prayers, all night, during the day, you name it.
Prayer accomplishes much:
… The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (Matthew 21:22)
The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)
Pray a lot.
pray without ceasing, (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
David gave thanks to God all the time
I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the Name of the Lord, the Most High. (Psalm 7:17)
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 9:1)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. (Psalm 28:7)
I will thank You in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise You. (Psalm 35:18)
I will thank You forever, because You have done it. I will wait for Your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. (Psalm 52:9)
I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever. (Psalm 86:12)
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. (Psalm 111:1)
I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me and have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Psalm 138:1–2)
Look at the verses above again. David thanked God from his heart (Ps 9:1: 86:12; 111:1; 138:1-2), for who He is (Ps 7:17), he thanked Him in song (Ps 28:7), he thanked Him for what He did (Ps 9:1), he thanked him in the congregation (Ps 35:18; 111:1), and he thanked Him for answered prayer (Ps 118:21).
Be quick to give God thanks every day throughout the day for all the blessings you have in life, for what He’s done, and for who He is.
Giving thanks is important:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15–17)
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6–7)
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 5:20)
Think about it
David kept his eyes on God, prayed all the time, and gave thanks.
How about you?
How are you with keeping your eyes on God? What things take your attention off Him? How can you fight that and be on-guard the next time it happens?
How is your prayer life? Do you pray in the morning and throughout the day? Do you pray expecting an answer like David? How does your prayer life need to change? Will you do it?
Are you thankful to God in general? Do you thank Him every day for your blessings, salvation, future, and your relationship to Him? Do you feel you’re as thankful as you should be to Him? What do you need to change?
