The Importance of Understanding God’s Heart

The same words can have a very different impact if delivered sternly or even angrily than if the speaker had a loving smile on his face or a compassionate gentleness in his voice. For example, if I am terrified, the words, “Oh you of little faith,” could be a stinging rebuke that fills me with resentment toward anyone who delivers those words a certain way but, if uttered very differently, those same words could be highly comforting; reassuring me that I am safe and making me feel so grateful to the speaker.

We cannot rely on the impact that reading Jesus’ words has on us, because not only were we not present when those words were originally uttered, our personality and emotional state could be very different from that of the original recipients of those words. Although at times the way Scripture’s words impact us could be Spirit-led, the practical reality is that at other times the Spirit’s influence could be smothered by other factors, such as raging hormones, our personal sensitivities, upbringing and so on.

The devil is the deceiver. He cannot change the heart of God but he can mess with our feelings, and so he is forced to make our feelings a primary focus of his attack. Yes, the Almighty could continually override all of the natural and supernatural things that can make our feelings go haywire. But that is not how God operates. He has ordained that we live by faith, not feelings.

We might not have such cues as body language and reliable feelings to discern Jesus’ heart as he uttered the words preserved in the Bible but to counter all this uncertainty we have the Bible’s revelation of the heart of God, and the more we immerse ourselves in this, the more sure will be our interpretation not only of Jesus’ words but of everything that touches us.

As important as it is to read, study and meditate on God’s Word (Many Scriptures), however, it will not suffice. Receiving spiritual revelation and knowing God’s heart is more than an intellectual exercise. Our own hearts must be right with God, through repentance, faith in the power of Jesus sacrifice and total surrender to God, plus getting to know God through daily seeking his face. For much more on this vital matter, I urge you to read The Spiritual Essentials for Accurate Bible Interpretation.

Not to be sold. © Copyright, Grantley Morris, 2016. For much more by the same author, see www.net-burst.net   No part of these writings may be copied without citing this entire paragraph.