Eye to Eye

'Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.”'  Psalm 32:8-9 MSG

Reading the Word of God in several different versions would, in many instances, be "eye-opening".

In this verse, the LORD is saying that He will advise us, instruct us and teach us the way that we should go, and that His eyes watch over us. He is also saying that we shouldn't be hard headed like livestock which needs bits and bridles to be placed in their mouths so they will do as their master says.

Our God is not a harsh master, He is our loving Father. He will allow us our juvenile and rookie mistakes or our ignorant, naive, wet-behind-the-ears missteps, as He leads us gently. But because He watches us closely, coaching from the sidelines, He will also call our attention, maybe tenderly pull us to the side and seriously look us straight in the eyes, perhaps affectionately warn us one last time. And then he will do whatever it takes so that we will not go down the path of destruction and harm ourselves or worse, harm others when we do not listen to His gentle counsel and persuasions. Believe me gentle persuasion is a whole lot easier than bits and bridles in a mule's mouth or a sheep with a broken leg.