God is protective. He is "towards" His people.
Look at the last part of the Deuteronomy verse; “He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” After G-d finds him in the desert, G-d encircled him. Isn’t that wonderful? ...met him in the wilderness and instructed him. Finally, He made him the apple of His eye.
Maybe you’ve never been the apple of someone’s eye here on earth. We see in Deuteronomy 7:9 G-d is faithful to those who love Him: “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”. Oh Believer, if you love G-d, you’ll keep His commandments and become the apple of His eye.
He knows we’re not perfect, for G-d comes after us in the desert wastelands when we sin. He knows how much we need Him, so He encircles us so that nothing can harm us. He knows we can’t live this life on our own, so He lovingly instructs us on how to live a godly life. Oh, how tender and loving He is towards us. He has made us the apple of His eye.
copied from: http://thinkonitdevotions.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/apple-of-his-eye-2/ by Elizabeth Marks