Zechariah 2:8 — For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

Have you ever noticed how people tend to give nicknames to loved ones? Sweetheart, Darling and Honey are some of these most common endearments. Other times people craft special names, which are meaningful for a certain individual.

We have a number of those in our family. Just ask sweet Abigail, whose older sister Emily dubbed her at birth Princess Cherry Blossom. Each pet name demonstrates how we feel about our loved one.

God also has terms of endearment. God’s chosen people had spent years in bondage under foreign nations. They turned away from Him and broke His covenant. In wisdom, God allowed them to be punished for their disloyalty.

But as with any good parent, God never stopped loving His children. He punished them for the purpose of getting their attention and drawing them back into relationship with Himself.

The prophet Zechariah delivered God’s call to repentance and promise of deliverance to Jerusalem and Judah. Israel was special and loved, nicknamed the apple of God’s eye.

God was angry at the punishing foreign nations. He had called them to chasten His wayward people, but they wanted to go beyond His intention. They planned to annihilate His special people, and this was unacceptable.

God pledged that He would be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem and that His glory would fill the city. He would pursue the enemy nations with a vengeance because no one could touch His loved ones without His permission.

Today God loves those who belong to Him as much as He loved Jerusalem. In fact, God sees all people who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, as His one redeemed people.

Ephesians 2:13-14 says: “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall …”

That means that we also acquire His special terms of endearment. We are deeply loved by Almighty God, and also called the “apple of His eye.” He is concerned about all that happens to us. He blesses, disciplines, provides and protects us.

No one can harm us without His permission. We are His and He is ours.

Have you grown up with a special nickname? Are you someone’s Honey, Sweetheart or Princess Cherry Blossom? Regardless, if you are one of God’s children, you are deeply loved. And those who touch you touch the “apple of His eye.”

Sandra Sheridan is a Midwest wife and mother of five. She shares her messages to her children with Farm World. Visit her at www.VersesFromMama.com