by Danielle Mahlstedt
Psalm 73:26
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
2 Thessalonians 3:5
“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”
The heart of Jesus is both perplexing and captivating. I cannot comprehend love so boundless that even the most defiant cannot escape it. I cannot understand a love that seeks after the rebel with power, breaking their bondage to sin. I cannot fathom a love so mighty that it destroys the transgressor’s offense so that it is forever forgotten. I cannot understand a heart that forgives and forgets instantaneously. Oh, the heart of Jesus.
I cannot understand a heart that loves me with the same immeasurable intimacy when I’m at my best and when I’m at my worst. Though I am entirely imperfect, and my short-comings are many, I am deeply loved and passionately favored. That though I have failed to listen to the direction of The Holy Spirit more times than I’d care to admit or limited His use of me because of distraction and busy work, I am adored and cared for. He is limitless in His love and that love never waivers. Oh, the heart of Jesus.
Though I cannot understand in my finite comprehension an infinite God, I am grateful that the truth remains of His awesome power and His amazing grace. That though I fail daily, I can count on the restoring healing power of His love to sweep me up into his arms and hold me and remind me that I am highly favored and eternally secure. Oh, the heart of Jesus.
I am grateful that the Lord doesn’t wax and wane in His love for us as we do in our love for people. Sure, we can love on people who treat us with kindness and respect, but what about the people who don’t? What about when the day is chaotic, and our emotions get the best of us and we are moody and unpleasant? The Lord doesn’t have those “off days” and He loves unconditionally.
We don’t have to worry about how He treats us because He treats us with kindness and love, always. However, we do have to be concerned with the condition of our hearts. We do have to be Christ-like to the unappreciative and unkind. After all, we all have shared those qualities and have been at the mercy of Jesus. Let us not take for granted that type of mercy, that we would withhold it from others.
Take some time to look at your heart and ask the Lord to mold it to be more like His. We need to show Christ-like love. We are surrounded by people who are preoccupied with self-gain, and self-righteousness. We live in a world that cares more about casting blame than loving on people. The world is desperate for Christ’s love, let us do everything we possibly can to show them Him.
PRAYER
Lord,
Please examine my heart and whatever is not in alignment with You, please destroy it. I pray to be wrecked by the power of your love that it overflows out of me onto every person I meet. I want to be unchanged in my attitude no matter the circumstance. I want people to notice my unwavering kindness and love that it makes people desire what I have in You. Help me to love like you do. Help me to love those around me, even those who persecute me or who mistreat me. Help me to love those I don’t agree with. Lord change me so that I am more and more like you, and less and less me. Mold my heart in your mighty hands. Let my purpose be to show others You in all that I do.
In Your Precious Name Jesus,
Amen
