I’m so thankful that God doesn’t only pursue us and find us leading to the moment of salvation. He is God, who pursues us for our entire lives–unrelenting and never without hope for us. Why would He do this? What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4) It is the depth of His love.
Several months ago, I heard a song that began to stir my heart and soul.
“Be the Gardener of my heart, tend the soil of my soul. Break up the fallow ground, cut back the overgrown. I won’t shy away, I will let the branches fall. So what You want can stay, and what You love can grow.” (“Tend” by Bethel, 10/10 recommend)
What a bold statement the songwriter makes–that there would be something in us that the Lord actually LOVES. I knew God was speaking, so I asked Him–”Lord, is that scriptural?” And I wonder if He laughed… His Word is an incredible love story about the lengths that He went to–unto death–over the history of the world to show us how He loves us. He calls us the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalm 17:8), He delivered so many from all that kept them bound. He said, “I’ve come that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). His hope is that we “being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:17-19) So yes, the love of Christ, for us. As God’s people, we get to know, we need to know, how incredibly loved we are.
If you asked me what I love about my children, I could list off things about each one of them that I love, that make me proud, that I hope never change about them. Can you imagine what the Lord would say if we asked Him what He loves about His children? We are quick to point out the things we love about our friends and family, but sometimes it is difficult for me to think about what the Lord could love about me. And I’m realizing that this isn’t humility–it is missing God’s opinion–His truth–about His daughter. It seems easier to ask for God’s vision and perspective in the other areas of my life–but knowing it about myself is important if I am to walk out my purpose of glorifying Him.
Ask the Lord what He loves about you. Ask the Lord what He wants to use in your life to reflect His heart. We are made in His image. That is simply the truth and promise we have. Where there is sin, God forgives us and we are made clean. Where there is uncertainty, God is our strength and our shield. Where there is lack, God gives abundantly. Where there is death, God gives life. Where there is impossible, God makes all things possible. And when we let God move and work these promises for good in our lives, we become living testimonies that glorify the Father.
And then, let us ask God to show us what He loves in others, that we may see and love it too. When we see others the way the Lord sees them, the trivial things fall away, and we see brothers and sisters with whom we get to run to glorify the Lord. We see the Kingdom of God. We see Jesus in each other.
So Lord, “be Gardener of our hearts, tend the soil of our souls. Break up the fallow ground, cut back the overgrown. We won’t shy away, we will let the branches fall. So what You want can stay, and what You love can grow.”
–Jenn Kane
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