Verse of the Day - Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
~ Psalm 68:5 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So many people have a warped understanding of God's heart. Because they don't know Him, they look at the world around them, with all the wars and hatred and killing, the drug abuse and domestic violence and child neglect, and think God is a mean 'hater', who either doesn't know what He's doing, or simply enjoys watching the ants on earth squirm. Oh, and hell? People think that any God who would send people to hell is just mean and nasty.

First of all, every evil in this world was brought on by the selfish rebellion of humanity, not the heart of God. And second of all, God doesn't send anyone to hell; they choose it when they reject the pure and holy God, who is light and life and goodness.

The Bible continually tries to shed light on the real heart of God. He is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows. He is compassionate on those who can't take care of themselves, who struggle to survive without help from others. I think of the widow in the Old Testament, who was ready to eat her last meal with her son, since there was no more food in the house, and be ready to die. But God saw her need and her pain and sent Elijah, and miraculously provided oil and water to meet their needs (1 Kings 17). Or how about the widow in the New Testament who walked the road with the mourners as she went to bury her only son (Luke 7)? God saw her need and her pain, and Jesus met her on the road and brought her son back to life! He was not so lofty in heaven that He didn't see and act on their behalf. That doesn't sound like a mean God to me...

I pray that you know and understand the true heart of God. He loves people so much, but He hates their sin. The evil that runs wild in the hearts of humanity cuts Him like a knife, because it is the tool of the evil one, who is bent on utterly destroying everything that is good and right -- everything that God is about. God is about people -- He loves them dearly and longs to care for them, to meet their needs. If you don't believe me, read the Bible for yourself. See and hear the heart of God, for it is compassion and love at its best.

Love,
Joelene