A Heart of Compassion
In the midst of our sins and failures, how does Jesus feel about us? The book of Isaiah reveals a profound truth: God’s heart is one of tender love, drawn to sinners and sufferers. When we return to Him in fresh contrition, He sweeps us up in His arms again, abundantly pardoning our transgressions.
Beyond Human Understanding
But God’s compassion goes beyond human understanding. His thoughts and ways are not our own, and we cannot view His expressions of mercy with our old eyes. Our very view of God must change. Just as a child needs to change their view of their father’s love, we need to see God’s heart of compassion in a new light.
Redeeming the Worst Parts of Our Past
God’s power runs deep, redeeming even the worst parts of our past into the most radiant parts of our future. He doesn’t limit Himself to working with the unspoiled parts of us; instead, He takes our mess and restores us to the radiant resplendence for which we were created. This is dependent not on our own efforts, but on us taking our mess to Him.
Gentle and Lowly
When Jesus revealed His deepest heart as “gentle and lowly,” He proved that this is where God loves to dwell. It’s what He does, and it’s who He is. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. We need to take our dark miseries to Him, and trust in His power to redeem and restore.
Coming to Jesus
You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself before coming to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come. When you come to Christ for mercy and love, you’re going with the flow of His own deepest wishes, not against them. He gets down with us, puts His arm around us, and deals with us in the way that is just what we need.
A Heart of Mercy
It takes a lot of sermons and a lot of suffering to believe that God’s deepest heart is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger.” But when we finally understand this truth, we can rest in His compassion and love. God’s heart is one of tender love, and He is always ready to sweep us up in His arms again.
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