Hearing His Voice #314 - The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional
Hearing His Voice #314
[The Lord said,] “They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts.”
Ezekiel 6:9
“Lord, teach me something about You that I don’t already know.” Again, this question was answered when I experienced the pain of rejection from someone I loved deeply. When the object of one’s affections gives his or her heart to less worthy loves, it hurts. Unrequited love—whether from a potential romantic partner or a family member or a friend—is one of the worst pains a human being can feel.
I realized in the midst of a season of rejection that God experiences that pain every single day. Millions of beloved people reject His love, sometimes with apathy or ignorance, and sometimes with outright contempt. God is not a human being, but He made us in His image, which means our capacity to feel pain is surely a reflection of His. In fact, He spoke through many prophets about His grief in being rejected by those He loves. When we read the words in Scripture, we understand the theological implications of His love. When we feel rejection ourselves and talk to God about it, we begin to understand the personal pain He feels. In our experiences and our relational dynamics, He gives us a taste of His own emotions and attitudes—not because He wants us to feel pain, but because He wants our hearts to bond with His. He wants us to be able to relate to Him and know Him deeply.
Anytime you experience joy or grief or any other emotion in a relationship, explore how those feelings might connect you with the heart of God. His interactions with human beings are often reflected in our interactions with one another. The things that cause us to feel pain or pleasure often have a parallel in biblical prophecies that describe God’s passions for His people. When we are alert to our relational dynamics, we can hear Him portraying His feelings in them.
Lord, I don’t just want to know about Your heart; I want to experience the things You experience. Share them with me. Alert me to Your feelings. Connect me to Your experiences through my own.
