Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

GOD'S HEART

This entry was posted on 10-01-2009 and is filed under ABOUT GOD.

Herman Melville wrote a letter to Nathaniel Hawthorne in June of 1851. In that letter he wrote, "The reason the mass of men fear God, and at the bottom dislike Him, is because they rather distrust His heart, and fancy Him all brain like a watch." I think that is a brilliant observation, don't you? Many people think God is all brain and no heart - that He keeps on ticking like a watch without feelings.

God had a great love for Israel but the nation often broke His heart. Hear the beat of His great heart in this passage. "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come with terror" (Hosea 11:8-9 NKJV). [Admah and Zeboiim were two small towns, along with Sodom and Gomorrah, that God destroyed (Deut. 29:23). Ephraim is another name for Israel.]

God longs for us to love Him and trust His heart. Who knows our heart better than God? Jeremiah declared, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jer. 17:9, 10 NKJV).
Only Someone with a heart is qualified to search our heart - and command us to love Him with all our heart.

Prayer: Kind and Loving Father, accept our praise today for Your great heart of love and compassion for us. Long ago You proved Your love for us by sending Your Only Son to die for our sins. In Jesus' name we thank You, Amen.