The Eyes of the Lord - Psalm 34:15- 19

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

The eyes, the ears, the face - these are faculties that convey nearness.   You know how you feel when you know someone is looking at you secretly. There is some sort of connection or presence that betrays the gaze.  The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.  The word eyes here is the Hebrew word "ayin" which can be translated as physical eyes, but it also denotes mental and spiritual awareness.  The eyes of the Lord are upon us like the caressing gaze of a lover or the adoring aspect of a father. In Matthew 6, the phrase, "thy Father which seeth in secret," is repeated 3 times. Can you feel His gaze?  Juxtaposed in all these rapt intimations is the tragic verse - "The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." I use the term tragic, because I can think of no worse fate than being separated from the face of God. His ears are open to our cry like a loving parent jerked into alertness by the sound of their child in need. Even in a sea of other voices He hears. And finally, "The Lord is near unto them that are broken hearted and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  In my brokenness the knowledge that He is near has comforted me. Often times a simple awareness, reveals the Presence that was there all along and draws Him from the shadows of our consciousness.  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous."  Trials and tribulation are a fact of life, especially for those seeking to live  holy in a fallen world.   But the promise of deliverance is sure. He will deliver me out of the ALL and spoil my captors in the process.

Lord, help me to live in the awareness of your gaze and may the intent of my heart be continually towards You, my source, my breath, my Beloved.