Know The Truth About God’s Heart and Yours

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When we talk about God’s heart, we typically talk about His grace, mercy, and perfect love. We don’t like to consider the things that break His heart.

When I traveled to Bolivia with a group blogging for World Vision, I learned the following quote…

“Let my heart be broken for the things that break the heart of God.”

~ Bob Pierce (World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse

I’ve been thinking about being heartbroken lately.

Synonyms for a broken heart include – agony, anguish, despair, grief, pain, sorrow, sadness, heartache, etc.

What breaks God’s heart?

The Lord saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil. The Lord was sorry that He had made humans on the earth, and He was heartbroken. 

Genesis 6:5–6 (GW)

Sin and evil are the sources of all life’s pain and suffering and they break God’s heart.

My sin, other people’s sin, and a creation that cries out in a broken world are the things that He finds heartbreaking.

It’s easy to think of being upset by something someone else did or events caused by natural disasters…

But what about being heartbroken over our own sin..?

I don’t know about you, but that’s harder to think about. The things I do and say that I shouldn’t and the things I fail to do that I should … the things God calls sin.

Moses wrote…

You must obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today.”

Deuteronomy 2:10

Through Moses, God gave us the 10 Commandments, and through Jesus, He summed them up in two short sentences…

 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:37–39

I’ve repeated those verses hundreds of times but this time they overwhelmed me. I wonder how often my heart has been broken over my failure to love like Jesus. How often are our hearts collectively broken over our failure to love and care for one another? (Matthew 25:31–46)

I have a knot in my stomach. Maybe you do too.

If so, join me as I take my failures and brokenness to the One who loves perfectly and promises to resurrect, redeem, and restore transforming us and making us more like Jesus.

Trusting God’s Heart with My Brokenness

Psalm 34:17–18

The Lord hears good people when they cry out to Him, and He saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits have been crushed. 

Father, I’m not good. I want to be, but I fail to do Your will each day. I don’t do what You want me to and do what You’ve said is wrong. I fail to love like Jesus.

It breaks my heart when I think about the many times and ways I failed to trust and obey You. Please hear the cry of my heart as I come to You for forgiveness. Please look at me through Jesus’ sacrifice. Remove my sins and give me all I need to love as You desire. Amen.

Psalm 147:3–4

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and names each one.

Father, Creator, and Namer of stars. I need Your healing touch, Your hope, and encouragement. The effects of sin in the world break my heart. My sin breaks my heart.

We cause each other pain through our words and actions. We fail to care for others the way You command. We get so focused on our pain and needs that we don’t even notice the brokenness around us. Please forgive me.

Make me compassionate, caring, and kind. Help me see You in everyone I meet and by the power of Your Spirit, help me love intentionally and consistently for Your glory. Amen

Isaiah 57:15

And this is the reason: God lives forever and is holy. He is high and lifted up. He says, “I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are sad and humble. I give new life to those who are humble and to those whose hearts are broken. 

Father God, Thank you! You reign supreme over all of creation. You are Lord of all. Yet, by Your grace, You live among Your people … pouring Your love over those who love and trust You and come to You in humble repentance asking for Your grace and mercy.

Your love overwhelms me. From all the blessings You give me, please help me help others. Break my heart for the things that break Your heart and help me be Your hands and feet to a hurting and broken world. Thank you for forgiving my past failures and with the help of Your Spirit help me help others as You desire. I surrender myself to You in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Quotes about God’s Heart and Ours

“All that God asks is that the heart should be cleansed from sin, full of love, whether it be the tender heart of a little child, with feeble powers of loving, or the full-grown man.” ~ Duncan Campbell

I paused here and took some time to prayerfully think about the way I should end this. I don’t want to close by focusing on sin.

Undeniably, we don’t love like Jesus. But the good news is that He never has and never will love like us. He has always loved perfectly. Our sinfulness broke God’s heart and…

 “This is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.

John 3:16–17

God loved us so much that He made it possible for us to be forgiven and free, filled with His Spirit, and able to share His love for His glory.

God’s heart loves you and me. He wants our hearts to be so full of His love that we generously share it with everyone around us.

And by His grace, you and I are forgiven. He sees His Son, Jesus, in us … we give Him joy.

The Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him,
    those who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Psalm 147:11

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