Today’s Lectio Divina: Excerpts from Psalm 86. (MsgB)
But You, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and You never, never quit. So look me in the eye and show kindness, give Your servant the strength to go on, save Your dear, dear child!
“The eyes are the window to the soul.” So says an old English proverb.
An old wives’ tale, you say? Think again.
A recent research project, done at Orebro University in Sweden and published in the American journal Biological Psychology, found that our eyes really are a window to the soul. According to these Swedish scientists, patterns in the iris of the eye can give an indication of whether people are warm and trusting or neurotic and impulsive!
In truth, everyone has a different structure of lines, dots and colors in our iris. So scientists compared the eyes of 428 subjects with their personality traits to see if these structures in the iris reflected their characters. They focused on patterns in crypts – threads which radiate from the pupil – and contraction furrows – lines curving around the outer edge – which are formed when the pupils dilate. Their findings showed those with densely packed crypts are more warm-hearted, tender, trusting, and likely to sympathize with others. In comparison, those with more contraction furrows were more neurotic, impulsive and likely to give way to cravings.
The researchers in this study argued that eye structure and personality could be linked because the genes responsible for the development of the iris also play a role in shaping part of the frontal lobe of the brain, which influences personality. “Our results suggest people with different iris features tend to develop along different personality lines,” said Matt Larsson, a behavioral scientist who led the study at Orebro University.
Hmm.
So let me just surmise here with you just a bit as we ponder for a moment more on Psalm 86.
So when David says to His Creator-King, “You, O God, are tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and You never, never quit”… I kinda wonder if David is also implying, as he asks God to look him in his eyes, that quite honestly, “I’m not!”
In truth, there’s very little good in us when compared to the unshakeable, unchangeable merciful heart of God. Can’t you just imagine if those Swedish scientists could look God in His eyes, I’m sure they would back away in awe?
As I see it, these researchers would see crypts in God’s iris so densely packed that not even a laser beam could cut through those eyes! But have those same guys look into my one good eye, or King David’s, and I’m sure these researchers would find contraction furrows in my iris larger than the Grand Canyon!
Yes sir. The eyes have it!
God is good. Really good!
And you and me, and King David?
Remember. Eyes don’t lie.
Yikes. I don’t know about you, but it sure looks to me that I could use a bit more Windex on those windows of my soul!
My prayer: I agree with King David, God. You are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and You never, never quit. Thank You that You never give up on me, even when my one good eye says that I have a long way to go in becoming more and more like You. So look me in my one good eye, God, and show kindness to me, giving Your servant the strength to go on. Save Your dear, dear child! For Your name’s sake. Amen.
My questions to ponder: So what would the iris of my eye reveal about my true nature? Can I open up my eyes more fully to God’s amazing grace today so He can pour His goodness and mercy into me in greater volume? How might I be more honest about myself, like David, and give God plenty of room to do deep eye surgery on me, for His glory and Kingdom purposes?
So what is God speaking to you today as you ponder the Psalms?
Over a 50-week period, you and I will take a deeper look at The Psalms: God’s Songbook of Prayers. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Contemplating the Psalms home page for ease of use. Keep in mind that one of the best ways to explore the on-going applications of this blog series is to walk alongside a biblically-based, Christ-centered spiritual director who is familiar with how to make material like this part of your overall spiritual formation in God. Many of our directors in our Contemplative Activist network are available to companion you in your journey with Jesus. Click here for more info.
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