Isaiah 40:11 “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; He gently leads those that have young.”

We often think of the heart, as it refers to our emotions and thoughts, as belonging solely to human beings. But God has a heart too.

In the Word of God, the “heart” is often referred to as the seat of emotions, feelings, thoughts, love, etc. It is a vulnerable part of who we are.

We are told in Scripture that God has a heart. He was “grieved in His heart” when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 6:6). We are told that David was a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).

The Lord has revealed to me in the past year a deeper understanding of His heart. I want others to understand it too.

Some of you know that I struggled with an anxiety disorder after I graduated high school. I realized that at the root of my anxiety was a lack of trust in God. But even deeper than “trust,” I needed a better understanding of Who God is.

We can sometimes read God’s Word, hear the commands and directions, and intellectually agree that they are right and true, but not grasp the deeper message behind the verses. That was me.

Since then, God has taken me through multiple growing experiences and brought people into my life who graciously pointed me toward a better understanding of Who He is. I am thankful for each of those people and those experiences. While my understanding is still growing, I want to help others see Who He is too.

These are some of the truths His Spirit has been revealing to me:

He is my Father.
For those of you who know my dad, he’s a great guy (and no, I’m not biased 😉 ). Growing up he used to tell me “I’m not your real Dad, your real Father is in heaven.” He would say it in a joking way, but I understood what he was trying to say.

Now that I am older, when I think about God, I picture the love of my earthly dad. If my earthly father could love me this much, and he is only earthly, how much more must my Heavenly Dad love me?

For those of us with great dads, this relationship is easier to picture. But God hasn’t left us without this truth in Scripture too.

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).

Jesus called His Father “Abba” (Mark 14:36). As sons and daughters of God, with His Spirit in us, we can call God by the same Name Jesus did – Abba! And He says He loves us even as He loved His Son! (John 17:23).

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:13.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13.

He wants to be involved in my life.
I had this idea that God was far-off, observing but not really intervening or speaking. But that’s completely contrary to Scripture.

God wants to be involved in our day-to-day lives, and in every aspect.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19.

“…casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

And He wants us to speak to Him about everything.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18.

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6.

He wants to speak to me and guide me.
This is a beautiful truth – God wants to communicate to us. Not only does He want us communicating to Him through prayer, but as in any relationship, He wants to communicate to us!

“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his ways… He will instruct them in the ways they should choose… The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:8-15.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26.

He wants to bless me.
When we come to God with our requests, and we don’t see an answer, sometimes it’s easy to think He just doesn’t care. Or we think He’s unfairly holding things from us. Or, we may not bring our requests to Him, because we subconsciously think, “He doesn’t really care about what I desire.”

This must really sadden God’s heart, because He wants to see us thrive, to see us blessed, to see our needs met. So don’t be afraid to ask Him and commit those desires to Him.

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.” Isaiah 30:18.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s… As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Psalm 103:2-5, 13.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.

God’s wants to love me.
That’s strange to say, but we have to realize that God CHOSE to love us. His love is perfect, but He did not have to die for us. God would have been perfectly justified to leave us in our sins, to say “Well, you messed up, and that’s that.”

But He didn’t want to leave us in our sins. He wanted relationship with us. He chose to risk His heart in coming to die for us. He knew that some would reject Him, spit upon Him, and betray Him. Yet He still came.

Realizing this makes me want to love Him even more! When I realize all that He risked in loving me, I want to give Him MY heart – all that I am.

Hopefully this has reminded you why you gave Him your heart. He is worth it!

Devotional reposted from sjcircuitboard.wordpress.com

Photo Credit: Pok Rie – Pexel – Seaport During Daytime