Deep Eyes: Learning to See as God Sees
There's something irresistible about holding a baby. The fresh smell, the innocent gaze, the complete trust radiating from those tiny eyes. When you look into a baby's face, you're witnessing pure dependence—a child who knows nothing of pride, greed, or self-sufficiency. They simply trust that the arms holding them will not let them fall.
What if this is exactly how God wants us to approach Him?
The Apple of God's Eye
Throughout Scripture, God uses a beautiful phrase to describe His people: the "apple of His eye." This expression appears three times in the Bible, and it speaks of being highly cherished, protected, and precious to God. In Zechariah 2:8, God warns that whoever touches His people "touches the apple of his eye." David prays in Psalm 17:8, asking God to "keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."
But here's the profound insight: the Hebrew word for "apple" in this phrase actually means "pupil." Picture this—when someone is the apple of your eye, they're so close that their reflection appears in your pupil. It's an image of intimate proximity, face-to-face connection where you can see yourself reflected in the other person's eyes, and they can see themselves in yours.
For this to happen with God, we must draw near to Him. He's already close, but we must choose to come into His presence.
The Disciples' Question
The disciples once argued among themselves about who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They had witnessed Jesus perform miracles, teach with authority, and demonstrate divine power. Naturally, they wondered about their positions in His coming kingdom. Who would sit at His right hand? Who would have the most influence and authority?
Jesus' response was radical.
He called a little child to stand among them and declared: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4).
Never. That's a strong word. Jesus wasn't suggesting this was one path among many—He was saying it's the only way.
The Path of Humility
Children are completely dependent. They can't feed themselves, dress themselves, or protect themselves. They need their parents for everything. They trust without question that mom and dad will provide, protect, and care for them.
Jesus calls us to this same posture before God. We must stop positioning ourselves, stop thinking we can do life on our own, and start trusting in God completely. Even Jesus, who had every right to power and position, came as a servant. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, though He was in the very nature of God, He humbled Himself and became a servant.
This is where deep eyes begin—with humility. We must get our focus off ourselves and onto Christ, aligning our hearts with His mission and His love.
Loving What God Loves
Jesus continued His teaching: "And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me" (Matthew 18:5). In that culture, children were often viewed as property, to be seen and not heard. They weren't valued as individuals worth investing in.
But Jesus was teaching something revolutionary: all people matter to God. Every person has infinite value. When we welcome those society overlooks, when we see value in those the world dismisses, we're reflecting God's heart.
This lesson would become even clearer to the disciples later when they realized God's message of salvation wasn't just for the Jews—it was for all people, everywhere. God's love knows no boundaries, no cultural limitations, no social hierarchies.
Deep eyes means loving what God loves—and God loves people. All people.
Hating What the World Loves
Then Jesus made a startling statement: "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
This vivid, extreme imagery wasn't meant to be literal instruction. Jesus was making a point about how seriously God takes sin and anything that separates us from Him. The things the world loves—the gods it worships, the values it elevates—these things damage our relationship with God and with each other.
God longs to lock eyes with us. He yearns for us to be in His presence, close to Him. That's why Jesus died—to tear down the curtain that separated humanity from God. When Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain ripped from top to bottom, as if God Himself tore it open, declaring: "Now you can come into My presence without fear."
God hates anything that separates us from Him, anything that hurts us or damages the people He loves. Sin has consequences, and we must understand its cost.
The Silversmith's Work
There's a beautiful picture in Malachi 3:3 of God as a silversmith: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
A silversmith must place silver in the hottest part of the fire to make it pure. As the metal melts, impurities rise to the surface, and the craftsman carefully removes them. Throughout this process, the silversmith keeps constant watch—if the temperature gets too high or the timing is off, everything is ruined.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is perfectly pure? When he can see his perfect reflection in it.
This is God's work in our lives. As we come into His presence daily, allowing Him to work on us through life's fires and struggles, He removes our impurities. And gradually, His reflection begins to shine more clearly in our lives. We start to look more like Him.
Choosing Life
Jesus made another extreme statement: "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire" (Matthew 18:8).
Again, Jesus wasn't being literal. He was shouting to get our attention: Life without God is terrible! You don't want to do life without God! Choose life! Choose to trust in Me!
The problem is that we think we're good enough on our own. We believe we can handle life without complete dependence on God. But Jesus is saying emphatically: No, you cannot do this on your own. You need Me.
As the psalmist wrote: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2).
Water is life. God is life. Our souls should long for God the way our bodies long for water.
The Marble Steps
In old Philadelphia, when marble was cheap, some homes had marble steps. Every Saturday, families would wash and polish those steps until they gleamed white and clean. But over time, as life got busier, people stopped this practice. Day by day, dirt crept into the pores of the marble. What were once pristine white steps slowly turned gray.
This is how sin works in our lives. We take our eyes off God, get focused on other things, and gradually, almost imperceptibly, dirt accumulates. We need God daily to cleanse, renew, and restore us.
Coming Face to Face
Deep calls to deep. Our deepest need calls out to God's sufficient provision. Where we are weak, He is strong. Where we are lost, He is found. Where we are broken, He makes whole.
The invitation stands: Come into His presence. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourself like a child. Trust completely. Let Him do His refining work. Love what He loves. Turn away from what separates you from Him.
And as you do, you'll find yourself face to face with the living God, close enough to see your reflection in His eyes—and His reflection shining ever more brightly in yours.
There's something irresistible about holding a baby. The fresh smell, the innocent gaze, the complete trust radiating from those tiny eyes. When you look into a baby's face, you're witnessing pure dependence—a child who knows nothing of pride, greed, or self-sufficiency. They simply trust that the arms holding them will not let them fall.
What if this is exactly how God wants us to approach Him?
The Apple of God's Eye
Throughout Scripture, God uses a beautiful phrase to describe His people: the "apple of His eye." This expression appears three times in the Bible, and it speaks of being highly cherished, protected, and precious to God. In Zechariah 2:8, God warns that whoever touches His people "touches the apple of his eye." David prays in Psalm 17:8, asking God to "keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."
But here's the profound insight: the Hebrew word for "apple" in this phrase actually means "pupil." Picture this—when someone is the apple of your eye, they're so close that their reflection appears in your pupil. It's an image of intimate proximity, face-to-face connection where you can see yourself reflected in the other person's eyes, and they can see themselves in yours.
For this to happen with God, we must draw near to Him. He's already close, but we must choose to come into His presence.
The Disciples' Question
The disciples once argued among themselves about who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They had witnessed Jesus perform miracles, teach with authority, and demonstrate divine power. Naturally, they wondered about their positions in His coming kingdom. Who would sit at His right hand? Who would have the most influence and authority?
Jesus' response was radical.
He called a little child to stand among them and declared: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4).
Never. That's a strong word. Jesus wasn't suggesting this was one path among many—He was saying it's the only way.
The Path of Humility
Children are completely dependent. They can't feed themselves, dress themselves, or protect themselves. They need their parents for everything. They trust without question that mom and dad will provide, protect, and care for them.
Jesus calls us to this same posture before God. We must stop positioning ourselves, stop thinking we can do life on our own, and start trusting in God completely. Even Jesus, who had every right to power and position, came as a servant. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, though He was in the very nature of God, He humbled Himself and became a servant.
This is where deep eyes begin—with humility. We must get our focus off ourselves and onto Christ, aligning our hearts with His mission and His love.
Loving What God Loves
Jesus continued His teaching: "And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me" (Matthew 18:5). In that culture, children were often viewed as property, to be seen and not heard. They weren't valued as individuals worth investing in.
But Jesus was teaching something revolutionary: all people matter to God. Every person has infinite value. When we welcome those society overlooks, when we see value in those the world dismisses, we're reflecting God's heart.
This lesson would become even clearer to the disciples later when they realized God's message of salvation wasn't just for the Jews—it was for all people, everywhere. God's love knows no boundaries, no cultural limitations, no social hierarchies.
Deep eyes means loving what God loves—and God loves people. All people.
Hating What the World Loves
Then Jesus made a startling statement: "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
This vivid, extreme imagery wasn't meant to be literal instruction. Jesus was making a point about how seriously God takes sin and anything that separates us from Him. The things the world loves—the gods it worships, the values it elevates—these things damage our relationship with God and with each other.
God longs to lock eyes with us. He yearns for us to be in His presence, close to Him. That's why Jesus died—to tear down the curtain that separated humanity from God. When Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain ripped from top to bottom, as if God Himself tore it open, declaring: "Now you can come into My presence without fear."
God hates anything that separates us from Him, anything that hurts us or damages the people He loves. Sin has consequences, and we must understand its cost.
The Silversmith's Work
There's a beautiful picture in Malachi 3:3 of God as a silversmith: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
A silversmith must place silver in the hottest part of the fire to make it pure. As the metal melts, impurities rise to the surface, and the craftsman carefully removes them. Throughout this process, the silversmith keeps constant watch—if the temperature gets too high or the timing is off, everything is ruined.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is perfectly pure? When he can see his perfect reflection in it.
This is God's work in our lives. As we come into His presence daily, allowing Him to work on us through life's fires and struggles, He removes our impurities. And gradually, His reflection begins to shine more clearly in our lives. We start to look more like Him.
Choosing Life
Jesus made another extreme statement: "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire" (Matthew 18:8).
Again, Jesus wasn't being literal. He was shouting to get our attention: Life without God is terrible! You don't want to do life without God! Choose life! Choose to trust in Me!
The problem is that we think we're good enough on our own. We believe we can handle life without complete dependence on God. But Jesus is saying emphatically: No, you cannot do this on your own. You need Me.
As the psalmist wrote: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2).
Water is life. God is life. Our souls should long for God the way our bodies long for water.
The Marble Steps
In old Philadelphia, when marble was cheap, some homes had marble steps. Every Saturday, families would wash and polish those steps until they gleamed white and clean. But over time, as life got busier, people stopped this practice. Day by day, dirt crept into the pores of the marble. What were once pristine white steps slowly turned gray.
This is how sin works in our lives. We take our eyes off God, get focused on other things, and gradually, almost imperceptibly, dirt accumulates. We need God daily to cleanse, renew, and restore us.
Coming Face to Face
Deep calls to deep. Our deepest need calls out to God's sufficient provision. Where we are weak, He is strong. Where we are lost, He is found. Where we are broken, He makes whole.
The invitation stands: Come into His presence. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourself like a child. Trust completely. Let Him do His refining work. Love what He loves. Turn away from what separates you from Him.
And as you do, you'll find yourself face to face with the living God, close enough to see your reflection in His eyes—and His reflection shining ever more brightly in yours.
Melvin Vandiver
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