The Heart of God

Meditations for Ragamuffins

July 19, 2023

The Heart of God

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Matthew 9:36

Quickly, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you read each of these three?

God

Jesus

Holy Spirit

If we were playing the TV game, Family Feud, the survey would reveal that people respond in a significantly different way between God and Jesus. This probably has something to do with the vision captured in the sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.(Jonathan Edwards, 1741) However, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the “only begotten Son” of God (John 3:16 KJV). Colossians 2:9 tells us that, “in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” In describing his ministry, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does” (John 5:19. See also John 5:30, 8:28). So, Jesus is God in human form. In Jesus, you see the very heart, the compassion, the love of God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

When Jesus was celebrating with friends at a wedding, God was showing him how to turn the water into wine. When Jesus was chatting with the culturally despised Samaritan woman at the well, God was giving him the words to say. When Jesus hung out with women and children, ate with sinners, and healed the Centurion’s servant, he was following the lead of his compassionate Father, whose mercy never ends, and encompasses all that He has created.

My Takeaway: Some people see Jesus standing between humans and an angry God. Yet the Bible teaches us that all the compassion that flowed from Jesus first flowed from the heart of God.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.