Embracing the Heart of God
We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
1 John 4:16 - MSG
Earlier today I read a verse in Jeremiah that talked about how the people had God on their lips, but their hearts were far from Him. It caused me to pause and reflect on my own heart.
Have I embraced God, or have I simply embraced thoughts about God? Have I sought after Him, or just what He can do for me? Have I chased after Him heart and soul? Do I love the way He loves?
These are good questions for each of us to answer.
If we are going to live the life God wants us to live, it can only be lived from a position of love—the God-kind of love. The kind of love that seeks another person's highest good without a self-seeking motive of its own.
God is love. God is Light. God is Spirit. And Scripture tells us that “the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts.” His love is not merely something we read about or admire from a distance. He has placed His love within us.
Jesus told us, “You are the light of the world.” The Holy Spirit lives within us as well.
This is who we really are because of the One who lives within us.
This is who you are.
It is a reality you can embrace heart and soul because the One who fills you is alive in you. His love created you. His love embraces you. His love is the reason you can embrace Him in return.
Of course, life’s traumas, trials, and tragedies can sometimes seem to dim the light within us. There are times when the flesh speaks much more loudly than the gentle voice of the Spirit, longing for our undivided attention. And there are certainly times when loving others feels difficult.
But our feelings do not change the reality of who lives within us.
Today’s verse reminds us that God has sent His love to live within us. God lives within us. His Spirit lives within us. His light lives within us.
So, let's remember that today.
Let's not be satisfied with merely knowing about God. Let's embrace God Himself—heart and soul. And as we do, let's allow His love to flow through us so that the hurting world around us can encounter something of His heart through our lives.
Prayer
Father, thank You for placing Your own love within me—real love, steady love, the kind that seeks the good of others and reflects Your heart.
Today I ask You to help me live from that place. Where my thoughts drift toward self-interest, pull me back to Your way. Where my heart grows distracted or distant, draw me close again.
Remind me that You dwell in me, that Your Spirit lights my path, and that Your love is meant to flow through my life into the world around me.
Teach me to embrace You fully—not just ideas about You, but You Yourself. Let Your heart shape mine, Your compassion soften mine, and Your presence steady mine.
And as I walk through this day, let Your love be what others encounter when they meet me.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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For Continued Reflection
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