A Captivated Heart

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

Do you know who said that long ago? God. God said it! To us! It was true thousands of years ago and is still true today. Isn’t that captivating? In the book, “Captivating” by John & Staci Eldredge, these words seem to leap off the page and into my heart—

“A woman becomes beautiful when she knows she’s loved. The radiance of her countenance shines to all who are near. This same woman, whom everyone thought was rather plain and unengaging, becomes lovely, alive, vibrant when she is being pursued. If you will open your heart to the possibility, you will realize that God has been wooing you ever since you were a little girl.”

Wow! He has been drawing you near to Himself, to experience His passion, His love, and His romance! We tend to think sometimes that all God sees are our mistakes, our sins, all the disappointments that we hand to Him, with head bowed in shame. He does see all that, and He does want us to be faithful and obedient, but His focus is on intimacy. Our intimate relationship with Him. Oh, that I could remember that and keep it guarded in my heart.

You know, the heart is such a wonderful thing. It has the capacity to hold so many beautiful virtues…hope, love, kindness, compassion, generosity. With the heart, we praise God, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1  With our heart we may see God, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 With our heart, we may please God, “May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

Because the heart is such a vital organ to our soul, we must watch over it carefully and diligently. Our heart does have the ability to turn to a different direction, away from God. Through pain, sadness, loneliness, anger, unforgiveness, to name a few, will rob us of the intimacy that we long for with Him. Listen to this verse, “The heart is deceitful above all things. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 Therefore, we are urged in the book of Proverbs, ”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

Now, you men! I hope you understand that this blog is not just for the ladies. God is actively wooing you to an intimate walk with Him as well. And with this being the week of Valentines, my prayer is that all of us will seek the Lord’s face asking Him to, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalm 51:10

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”

Psalm 37:4 (My personal life’s verse)

And let it be so, dear Lord Jesus…