A Heart Like the King

Posted by kathym on July 8, 2010

I wonder if we realize how vast God’s love is for humanity. Beyond those who believe, but those who aren’t sure or do not (for whatever reason).

I imagine one of my kids walking along a path and me placing sure footing in front of each step they take. Even if they hated me I would still do it. Even if they committed the worst sin I would still do it.

I think there is too much Pharisaical thinking in a lot of us today. When one of us goes down, or at the very least, does not look like what we think they should, we are ready to form an opinion.

I think God is very different. I know God is very different.

When anyone “went down” in the Bible, God’s response is not how I often see responses today. We take David’s adultery and murder as our reference point; forgetting about guys like Saul of Tarsus and Peter.

And concerning anyone who was not status quo, Jesus didn’t seem to get as ruffled as we do today. We’re ready to label some people as rebellious or fill-in-the-blank, without getting all the details (and do we need to know all the details?)

Much of this we base on Old Testament examples. Not that I am dismissing the OT. Just saying.

Imagine that God is thinking differently about humanity than we do with our interpretations and opinions; our revelations and enlightenments. I think that God is continually going out of His way to rearrange the messes we get ourselves in to make it right or at least make it better for our souls.

I think that God is placing sure footing in front of each step we take. All of us. Everyone.

That may make us glad. Or, we may find ourselves sitting outside the city waiting for its destruction and have to find out that the heart of the King is to provide a quick growing plant to shade us from the heat.

We quickly and silently form opinions as to why someone is in the predicament they are in. I wonder if most of the time God really doesn’t care as to the why as much as He does as to how He will bring brighter days our way. It may be as simple as the close of a horrible day filled with everything going wrong, and seeing a ball of orangey red setting behind the trees, displaying cotton candy clouds that lift your child-like heart, promising a better tomorrow. Or a billion stars in the summer sky as if to reflect the thousands of fireflys dancing in the air. All a reminder of a God that is watching us and even cheering for us. Because He has the bird’s eye view; the end from the beginning. And it was love that prompted His dying for sinful man and it is love that continues to cover sinful man.

I imagine Chrisitans everywhere displaying that same kind of love. ‘Cuz most of the time we don’t have it. Love that covers, not exposes. Thoughts and intents, words and actions that are not critical, filled with snobby opinions, but sincerely placing the interests of another front and center.

If we’re going to use the OT as a resource, then perhaps we should consider Job’s three, so-called friends that analyzed his situation and came to some conclusions that ended up being dead wrong.

Interesting- they shall know Me by your love for one another. Do we do much better than the world? Really? There’s a whole lot of kindness going on out there. How do we rate in comparison?

I think we could do much better. Can’t we always do better? The letters to the churches in Revelation seem to suggest we can. And it’s not doing, doing, doing in prove a point. It’s having a heart like the King.