Guided by God's Eye

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. ⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you."

Psalm 32:8-9

During Friday night Bible study we discussed Psalm 32, and these were standout verses for me that prompted useful conversation.  God promised to instruct and teach His people in the right way to go and would guide them with His eye.  It was not a situation where all the instruction was given beforehand and then, once the examination is passed, His people could fall back on their qualifications.  Instead, God offered a relationship with His people to be lead by Him in real time to know where to go and what to do, a life available to Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Our eyes are one of the most expressive, non-verbal means of communication we possess as human beings.  By opening our eyes extra wide for a split second or by winking we can send a message to someone who maintains eye contact with us.  A king seated at his table during a meal attended by servants who knew what to look for would spring into action with a subtle look from their master.  An abrupt lift of the chin accompanied by looking at an empty glass was enough to move a servant to refill it.  While playing sport, without speaking a word, our eyes can communicate effectively to help our teammates anticipate our moves and be in the correct position.

On the other hand, horses and mules cannot communicate in this visual fashion.  While words can be useful training aids, horses naturally communicate through body language and touching.  They respond to the tone of spoken words rather than recognising the meaning of the word itself.  During an equestrian dressage competition, riders are not permitted to speak or use verbal commands and will receive a penalty for doing so.  God told His people not to be like the horse or mule without understanding, that needed to be harnessed with bit and bridle or else they would run away.  No horse or mule will do profitable work without first being extensively trained to respond properly to the bridle and submit to being led.  God's desire is for His people to have understanding of Him and willingly look to Him for guidance--without needing to bridle us with afflictions and troubles to keep our interest.

So how can we maintain eye-contact with God we cannot see with our eyes?  The first part of James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  We are to draw near to God with eyes of faith, learning of our Saviour in God's Word, desiring and choosing to walk in His ways.  Because we are spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus, God dwells within us and guides us into all truth.  In one sense He looks through our eyes at the world around us and opens our understanding to perceive needs and opportunities to minister His love and grace we were once blind to.  Instead of fitting us with a bit and bridle of Law, we are governed by His love, righteousness and compassion to follow Christ's example of living out the Gospel by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Because of the relationship we have by faith in Jesus, we are instructed and led by Him in real time by His grace.

Through God's word and the Word that became flesh, Jesus Christ, we can personally know God.  By the Gospel we are brought to an understanding beyond what Job said in Job 42:5:  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."  God created ants to follow one another and do profitable work for the benefit of all without a guide or ruler by chemical pheromones invisible to our eyes, and God makes Christians new creations He guides, enables and empowers to be fruitful for His glory by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Let us be those who seek and understand God, guided by His eye.