Knowing God's Heart

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

And lean not on your own understanding;

(Proverbs 3:5)

Wanting to know what lies in God’s heart seems to be a desire that arises during our journey with God. Learning what is in God’s heart is something that comes about as you progress within your spiritual life with God and what’s beautiful is that there is an infinite amount of love to discover within God’s heart. 

We can start our journey by recognizing what lies at the very core of who God is. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8) God being the definition of love leads us to discover the many other qualities of our beloved Christ. We know that “ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:5-8) Now we can see that from love, there is so much goodness that abounds. Not only is God loving, but He suffered for us and is kind, humble, pure, and dependable. Not only is God’s love perfect, but also the best example of how we should love each other. True love like that of Christ’s is freely given. It does not seek reciprocation but rather brightens up the hearts of others. We can look to how Christ treated everyone with love and use that in our lives as an example of how to treat those we encounter every day. 

Now that we have established that God is our loving Father who is the very essence of love, we can begin to trust Him. We can begin to rely on Him and see that since He is love, everything He does for us and places in our lives must also be done out of love and it is through this that we may piece together the rest of Christ’s heart. We can begin to look to what is around us to remind ourselves of God’s perfect love. We can begin to notice His love in the warm smiles of our family members, the contagious laughs of our friends, the richness of our church services, and even the flowers growing on the side of the road. Think of it like looking through rose-colored glasses but instead, you’re looking through the lens of a child of God who is open to seeing just how much God loves them. Through these seemingly nominal details, we can conclude that one thing about God’s heart is that it is filled with love and care for every living thing on earth. Now, this is all easier said than done, and it is meant to be a part of your spiritual journey with God, so don’t be afraid to talk to God as He truly is your Father. When you are lost or feeling as though there is a barrier between you and getting to know God better, ASK HIM! You may say something like, “God, open my eyes to see you in my day today” or “God, what is your will for me?” Then lean back on trust, and remember that His “love never fails,” trusting that God will give you your answer. 

Knowing that God is love and that He cares for His children allows us to also navigate conflict when it comes to discovering what God’s will for our lives is. We can trust that even the hardships and challenges that arise in life are a means of strengthening both ourselves and our relationship with our Father in Heaven. We can face trials with confidence and understand that it isn’t really about what God wants us to do but rather that in whatever choices we make, God isalways with us. We can look to stories in the Bible for moments where there seemed to be no hope, and God provided for His children. God split the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites and made Manna fall from the sky, so rest assured that He’s got you covered. 

Knowing God’s heart is a journey that is unique to each one of His children. But that is what makes it so beautiful. God has handcrafted a unique pathway that each of us can discover His love in a way that strongly resonates. So don’t be afraid to dive in and actively seek out His love. God is love and from His love, there is so much good that flows out! We can rest assured that Christ will never fail us and trust that whatever may come our way, we can get through anything because of God. We can feel free to make choices by trusting that God will be with us in whichever pathway we choose. Remember, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So take His love, and hold it in your heart because you will see how much life and light His love will bring you. Embody this light and spread it to others so that they too may experience the beauty of knowing the incredible love that lies for them in God’s heart!