THE LONGING IN GOD'S HEART
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. Prov. 1:23, N.I.V.
In our endeavors to please God, we often seek to know His will regarding what we should or should not do. Could it be that God is ultimately more concerned about our relationship with Him than with our actions? Could it be that His desire to deal with our actions is because He longs to promote, protect, and nurture that relationship?
Today's text speaks of a great longing in God's heart. It explains His intentions when He remonstrates with us. "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you." It is plain that God not only wants to make His thoughts known to us; He desires to pour out His heart to us!
In human relationships, when we pour out our hearts to somebody, we trust that person with all our hopes and dreams. Can it be that our great God has hopes and dreams that He'd love to share with us? Have we been shortsighted in thinking that all He ever thinks about is our behavior? Before this world began, God had plans and dreams, and we may confidently know that we are a part of those dreams. Our companionship was something He envisioned long before sin entered the universe.
It is difficult for us to conceptualize eternity. I've heard people comment candidly that they are a little nervous about what we will find to do for a time as long as forever. Perhaps most of us will take a long time in getting past the relief we'll experience in not having any more trials. At this point I can picture God smiling broadly, because He can hardly wait to tell us what He's been thinking about!
The happiest times we know on earth are when we are sharing the rich companionship of trusted and loved friends. What we do together is almost inconsequential, though often stimulating and rewarding. It is the friendship that makes the experience worthwhile. In like manner, our friendship with God is what eternity is all about. Even now we may begin to enter into such a special relationship with Him that we will be eager to have anything and everything removed that would keep us from ever-deepening communion with Him. We will be just as eager as He is.
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. Prov. 1:23, N.I.V.
In our endeavors to please God, we often seek to know His will regarding what we should or should not do. Could it be that God is ultimately more concerned about our relationship with Him than with our actions? Could it be that His desire to deal with our actions is because He longs to promote, protect, and nurture that relationship?
Today's text speaks of a great longing in God's heart. It explains His intentions when He remonstrates with us. "If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you." It is plain that God not only wants to make His thoughts known to us; He desires to pour out His heart to us!
In human relationships, when we pour out our hearts to somebody, we trust that person with all our hopes and dreams. Can it be that our great God has hopes and dreams that He'd love to share with us? Have we been shortsighted in thinking that all He ever thinks about is our behavior? Before this world began, God had plans and dreams, and we may confidently know that we are a part of those dreams. Our companionship was something He envisioned long before sin entered the universe.
It is difficult for us to conceptualize eternity. I've heard people comment candidly that they are a little nervous about what we will find to do for a time as long as forever. Perhaps most of us will take a long time in getting past the relief we'll experience in not having any more trials. At this point I can picture God smiling broadly, because He can hardly wait to tell us what He's been thinking about!
The happiest times we know on earth are when we are sharing the rich companionship of trusted and loved friends. What we do together is almost inconsequential, though often stimulating and rewarding. It is the friendship that makes the experience worthwhile. In like manner, our friendship with God is what eternity is all about. Even now we may begin to enter into such a special relationship with Him that we will be eager to have anything and everything removed that would keep us from ever-deepening communion with Him. We will be just as eager as He is.
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