Monday, June 9, 2008—Are Our Hearts Aligned with the Heart of God?

Last week we spoke of God’s immeasurable love and of the Scriptures as God’s love letter to us. At first glance, our new theme texts might seem to contradict the truths about God’s love and love letter, so let’s begin by praying that we will see God’s heart and yearn for our hearts to be aligned with God’s. Now read and meditate on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Does this prayer give us insight into what it means for our hearts to be aligned with God’s? What happens when we break God’s heart? How does God realign us and bring us back into right relationship? Listen for evidences of God’s tender love as you read Psalm 36:5-9 and Isaiah 43:1-7.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008—Relentless, Pursuing Love and Ineffable Holiness

Do we try to put God into the boxes of our understanding, defining God’s love by the measure of ours and God’s holiness by human standards? God spoke through the prophet Hosea at a time when God’s people offered lip service to God, but their hearts were not tender to God’s desire for deep and committed relationship. In the book of Hosea, God stretches our understanding of unconditional love and reminds us of the seriousness of spiritual adultery. Pray you will hear the yearning in God’s heart as you read Exodus 20:1-3; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Isaiah 65:1-2; and Hosea 2:14-23; 11:1-11. Do you hear the same love and yearning in Jesus’ words in Luke 13:34?

Wednesday, June 11, 2008—God’s Tender­ness for the Weak

God’s love is relentless, pure, and eternal. From Genesis to Revelation, we read the story of God’s redemptive love and saving grace. Consider John 3:16; Romans 5:8; and 1 John 4:9-10, as you ponder how much God hates sin but loves sinners. Notice the gentle and tender love of God (perfectly manifest in Jesus) toward those who seek an honest relationship with God as you read Hosea 14:1-9 and Luke 7:36-50; 15:20-24; 18:9-14. Do these texts add insight to our theme of alignment with the God of our hearts? Talk to God about God’s heart and yours.

Thursday, June 12, 2008—No Half-Hearted Devotion

Yesterday, we pondered God’s tender love toward those who come with open hearts and outstretched hands, seeking God’s mercy. However, when people are self-sufficient, believe that “doing religion” is what God requires, and close their hearts to true relationship with God, God sometimes uses “tough love” to remold hard hearts. Listen to God’s words of indictment and Israel’s response as you read Hosea 4:1; 5:1-5; 5:15-6:6. These are hard words; why does God imply that the repentance is not genuine (6:4)? Does Jesus speak similar messages in Mark 7:6-8; Luke 11:37-44 and Revelation 3:14-20? Pray you will have a heart that is tender and true.

Friday, June 13, 2008—Judgment in History

Read Romans 2:4 and 2 Peter 1:19-21. Reflect on what we have been reading in Hosea. Repeatedly and over generations, God, through the prophets, called God’s people to return and repent. God’s heart yearned for reconciliation and relationship, yet the people persisted in apostasy/spiritual adultery. Finally, when kindness, patience, and gentle pleading did not soften the people’s hearts, God brought judgment in history through Assyria and later Babylon. Read 2 Chronicles 36:15-23; Ezekiel 36:24-27; and Daniel 9:1-19, listening for the grace, love, and promise, even in the discipline. God is still aligning hearts today; in prayer, offer yours to God.

Saturday, June 14, 2008—Can We Trust God’s Heart?

We’ve spoken of judgment, but it’s important to remember that, for Israel, judgment was the road to restoration and renewed relationship with God. God’s love is tender, but it is also relentless, and God will go to any measure to bring reconciliation. This is seen most clearly from the foot of the cross. Can we trust God’s heart of love? How can we not trust such amazing love?! Read Psalm 50:7-15; Isaiah 1:15-17; and Hosea 6:1-6. As God’s people today, do we understand the gravity of sin; do we truly repent and seek God; do we value more than God’s material benefits; do we love God passionately? Run into your Father’s arms and love him with abandon.

Sunday, June 15, 2008—Redeeming Love

Bask in God’s promises of restoration and relationship as you read Isaiah 55:1-7; Jeremiah 29:10-14; Lamentations 3:21-26; Joel 2:12-13; Micah 7:18-19; Zephaniah 3:17; and Revelation 21:3-7. Does your heart become tender as you realize God rejoices over you with singing? Ask God to melt the hard places in your heart. Pray Stuempfle’s lyrics: “O Christ, create new hearts in us that beat in time with yours, that joined by faith with your great heart, become loves’ open doors” (“O Christ, Your Heart, Compassionate,” 1982, GIA Publications, Inc.).

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