Guided by His Eye: What Psalm 32 Teaches About God’s Gentle Guidance

Psalm 32:8–9 shares God’s gentle way of guiding us – not through force, but through nearness, attentiveness, and relationship.

The other morning, I was reading Psalm 32 during my quiet time.

It wasn’t a particularly dramatic moment. No big emotions. No pressing question I was trying to answer. Just another ordinary morning with my coffee nearby, Bible and journal open…reading the same way I do any other morning.

I’m certain I’ve read this psalm many times before.

And somewhere in the middle of the psalm, I felt that familiar, gentle nudge I’ve learned to pause and notice:

Pay attention to this.

“I Will Counsel You With My Eye Upon You”

In Psalm 32:8–9, God describes His preferred way of guiding His people:

“I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”
(Psalm 32:8–9, ESV)

These are the verses that stood out to me.

For the past month, I’ve had the word behold in my mind with this picture of me sitting still, attentive, eyes fixed only on the Lord.

Not doing. Not even praying. Just being present. Near enough to notice.

So when I read that God would counsel me with His eye upon me, it felt like the same invitation in different words – presence.

It’s God describing guidance that happens not through force or volume, but through nearness and attentiveness. Guidance that stems from relationship.

In the Hebrew imagery, the idea is closeness – attentiveness so near that direction can come through the smallest, most subtle signal. The relationship itself carries the weight.

Even the words translated instruct and counsel point in this direction. They aren’t about enforcing rules from a distance, but about shaping discernment and offering personal guidance, wisdom given within relationship.

One commentator describes it with an image that has stayed with me:

“The idea is of one who waits upon another so attentively that a mere look at the eye indicates the will. A butler waiting upon his master at dinner can illustrate this; the master need only look at the salt shaker and the butler understands that he wants it.”
(Enduring Word Commentary on Psalm 32)

That picture of the butler stuck with me.

That’s the kind of relationship I want to have with God – sitting, attentive, at the ready to notice even the most subtle glance of guidance.

Not What to Do, But How to Be

This is where I think we often misunderstand passages like this.

Our instinct is to ask, “Okay… but what do I do?” What practice? What habit? What step do I take?

But Psalm 32 isn’t answering a “what to do” question.

It’s describing a posture.

A way of being with God.

Close enough to notice.

Still enough to respond.

Willing enough to be guided with a subtle glance – learning to recognize His leading even in the middle of everyday life (like I shared in How to Hear God’s Voice in a Distracted World).

The contrast God gives isn’t between good behavior and bad behavior.

It’s between:

• someone who stays near on purpose
• and someone who has to be pulled back by force 😬

The bridle isn’t about punishment – it’s about distance.

And as I sat with that contrast, it became uncomfortably personal.

When “Bit and Bridle” Shows Up in Real Life

Y’all, I am very familiar with the stubbornness that calls for a bit and bridle.

I was a stubborn child (and, shockingly, I can still be a stubborn adult 😂). I was the one pushing every boundary, getting as close to the fire as I could, and challenging every rule and request my parents made.

I was the one who needed a bit and bridle.

As I sat with this passage, I had one of those lightbulb, aha moments of gentle conviction.

I could see myself in that bit and bridle. And then, all of a sudden, I could see just how often I’ve been defaulting toward that same approach in my own parenting of our two boys lately.

It wasn’t an intentional choice. It sure isn’t my chosen parenting approach.

And yet… it’s how I see myself responding to my kids, especially in the loudest, most chaotic moments that feel out of control.

In that moment, I could see the highlight reel flash through my mind.

• Times when I laid out consequences before pausing to show compassionate curiosity.
• Times when I aimed for compliance instead of connection.
• Times when the goal was control instead of discipling, guiding, and training my kids in the way they should go.

Oof.

What struck me most wasn’t shame…it was clarity.

I want my kids to keep their eyes on me.

Because they trust me. Because they know I’m for them. Because they believe I’m guiding them toward good (not just taking good things away from them).

And that’s when the parallel became impossible to ignore.

What Is It About God That Makes Me Want to Keep My Eyes on Him?

When I started asking myself how I could shift this unwanted pattern in my parenting, I didn’t start with strategies or techniques.

I started with a question:

What is it about God that makes me want to keep my eyes on Him?

Because whatever that is…that’s what I want to reflect to my kids.

I want to be the kind of parent they want to stay near. The kind of presence they trust enough to watch. The kind of guide whose direction feels safe, not threatening.

And when I turn that question back toward God, the answer is clear.

I keep my eyes on Him because:

• He is calm when I’m in chaos.
• He is gentle when I’m overwhelmed.
• His boundaries are protective, not harsh.
• His guidance is rooted in love.
• …and so much more (the list in my journal got very long here!)

I don’t watch Him because I’m afraid of getting it wrong.

I watch Him because I trust His heart.

And the more I live near Him – abiding, waiting, attentive – the more that posture begins to shape how I relate to the people I love most.

An Invitation to Nearness (Without The Bridle)

This is what Psalm 32 is inviting us into.

Not a louder conscience. Not tighter control. Not a checklist of right behaviors.

But a posture of nearness.

Eyes fixed on a loving Father. A life lived close enough to notice His guidance. A willingness to jump and respond to something so subtle as a glance.

And in a world that feels noisy, disconnected, and lonely, this kind of relationship with God is transformative.

It’s the kind of relationship that doesn’t stay contained between you and the Lord, but naturally overflows into every relationship in your life – with your kids, your spouse, your friends, your church.

It doesn’t just change what you do, it changes how you connect and relate to others.

A Blessing for Staying Near

If you want to sit with this posture of nearness more intentionally this month, I created a month of journal prompts (with daily Bible verses) to help you linger with Scripture, notice God’s presence, and reflect on what it looks like to stay close to Him in this season.

As you move through this season, I pray you feel drawn toward God’s goodness. Not pulled by obligation, but invited by His kindness and care.

I pray you find yourself wanting, and even aching, to stay near Him…lingering in His presence, attentive to His guidance, resting in the posture of sitting at His feet.

As you keep your eyes on Him, may that nearness begin to shape how you connect and relate to others –
with your children, your spouse, your friends, and the people you encounter each day.

May your attentiveness to God overflow into patience, steadiness, and care. And may you discover the quiet freedom of being guided by His eye rather than restrained by force.

Amen.