Close to HIS Heart
Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:10 – 11
If we read these verses without knowing anything about God we might think they were describing two different people. But, what I am learning through the study if Isaiah is that God has many facets to His personality and it is just as important to understand His might as it is to understand His gentle care of His people.
In these verses Isaiah is reassuring Israel that God will take care of them even though they will be exiled in Babylon. Verse 10 describes what He will do to their enemies who are holding them and then verse 11 gives them a beautiful picture of how He will, like a gentle shepherd, gather His lambs and carry them close to His heart. He even adds a little extra attention to those who have young.
I often think about how God protects me. I love the idea of His power and might against His enemies and mine. It is a very secure feeling to know that He is so much more powerful than Satan or any earthly opposition that I face that I need not be too concerned about their power. I need to rely on His power.
It is a completely other thing for me to really understand that He considers me and you, and any child of His living today, a lamb that He will not just protect but carry close to His heart! He tends His flock like a Shepherd. Shepherds have to be constantly thinking about and watching over their flocks so that they don’t stray. When they do stray they will leave the flock to find the one.
God’s love is like this. It is personal; each one means as much as the whole flock. Each of His children is valuable and loved, carried close to His heart. The Almighty, Most Holy, Incomparable God of the universe loves you and me individually. He knows all there is to know about us. He cares about the things that we care about. He will protect us from the enemies of evil. He is Greater than any power that attacks us and will defend us with His mighty arm – because He loves us not because He wants to show off His power.
At many Christian weddings it is traditional to read from 1 Corinthians 13. We call it the love chapter. Whose love does it describe? We know it’s how we are supposed to love each other but few of us get anywhere close. It is a description of the love God practices. We are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Read how His love is characterized in these verses. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a:
(4) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant(5) or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;(6) it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. (7) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8) Love never ends.
This is how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit love you and me. His love for us bears all things and never ends. As we consider these verses how should we then be showing our love to our God who carries us close to His heart?