Crushing God’s Heart
“...I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me…” Ezekiel 6:9
The relationship we have with God is a very real relationship. It is a relationship between two persons; God and me. The reason you and I have personhood is because God created us in His image. He is a person and He created us persons.
God is an infinitely holy Person who needs nothing. We are finitely sinful persons who need everything to be supplied for us. He is self existent and self sufficient. Yet He desires intimacy with us. Throughout scripture we see God expressing His feelings toward us as the Lover of our souls.
In Jeremiah God expresses His heart to His unfaithful people saying, “I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness” Jeremiah 2:2. Amazingly God says He remembers the way it used to be and even asks in verse five, “What injustice have your fathers found in Me that they have gone far from Me?” In Ezekiel, talking about Israel’s idolatry He says, “I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols” Ezekiel 6:9. God really does love us. His heart really does feel pain when we don’t love Him in return.
I wonder...do we understand what our sin does to God? Do we have any idea the grief and pain we bring to His heart when we love this world more than Him? Do we comprehend what it means that God calls our unfaithfulness to Him spiritual adultery?
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” James 4:4-5 NIV
Spiritual adulterers. Enemies of God. God jealously longs for us to be faithful to Him. Our relationship with God is a very real relationship. It is a relationship that we should guard with care.
Jesus said that the first and great commandment is that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; that is, we are to love God with our total being. David Crowder’s words penned in the hymn, Come Thou Fount reminds us of what we all must admit.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it.
Seal it for Thy courts above
As one who knows too well lack of love for God I often pray the promise of Romans 5:5 which says, “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Perhaps you would like to join me in such a prayer. “O God, I do not love You or others as I should. Pour Your love into my heart through the Holy Spirit. Help me to love as You love.”
May God by His grace keep us from crushing His loving heart.
Pastor Dan