“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings…” Psalm 17:8

Let’s be honest, we all have our favorites – we like one thing better than another. We prefer blue over green, corn over cauliflower, summer over spring, bugs over baby dolls, and…. Well, you get the idea.

When it comes to our kids, however, we simply cannot choose one over the other. How can we when they’re part of us – a mini me or a mini him – created in our image? Wouldn’t that be rejecting ourselves? But, it is possible to make each child the apple of our eye – to know they are precious in our sight – because that’s how God treats us.

Yes, God plays favorites:  

“For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance…He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.” Deuteronomy 32:9-11

God freely chose Israel (Jacob) as his inheritance, his portion, his favored ones. Now, through Christ, all who believe in Him are redeemed and adopted into this  same inheritance; we become His most precious child – shielded, cared for, guarded, and the apple of His eye. 

I’ve held my own children and admitted, “You’re my favorite son” or “You’re my favorite daughter.” Easily done since I only had one son and one daughter, but if I’d had two the same, I know that statement would still ring true because they are equally part of me; freely chosen to be part of my family and each loved unconditionally. But, no matter how “fair” I am with my love, on occassion I’m accused of playing favorites – loving one more than the other – because one’s needs required a privilege the other didn’t need. 

Sometimes we don’t feel like God’s favorite, either. We spend more time comparing ourselves to our spiritual siblings, wondering why God favors them more than us, that we miss His blessings in our own lives. We assume He loves them more, when in reality, He loves us both the same – we’re just on different journeys than our sister or brother. 

 Be encouraged, dear friend, YOU are God’s favorite. He takes great “delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT).