Category: Affectionate Heart

Luke 19:41-42 NIV
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it  and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

Today we remember that our gentle and humble Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem, over those who rejected him and salvation. Jesus is full of true compassion and affection for us, for those who have yet to receive him, and even those who will reject him. As God’s people we are also transformed to reflect Jesus’ compassion and affection for one another and our world. We can see this in God’s people throughout Scripture, and our churches have been growing in Jesus’ compassion and love to this day.

Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus’ compassion is never limited, so let us confidently pray and move forward in all the ways that God is leading us to love others with his compassion and affection, in all the places he has called us to.

Prayer: O Lord, your love and compassion have no end! We praise your holy name and declare your salvation over one another, our cities and our campuses. Thank you for your great love and help us to see others with your compassion each day. Use us today as your servants to love others with your compassion. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord and pray as we sing “Love Knows No End” from Hillsong Worship (click here).

– JLiu

 

Matthew 11:29-30 NIV
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The “rest” Jesus offers is not a relaxation of the demands of righteousness, but a new relationship with God which makes it possible to fulfill them.  It is…a new and “kind” yoke which makes the burdens “light.” (R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (NICNT))

“Only one place can give us quality rest. That place is near and close to the person of Jesus. When we come to Jesus, we find quality rest.” (excerpt from Pastor Steve’s Sunday Message)

Jesus understands that we get tired from the burdens of life. Because he loves us, he calls us to come to him, so we can take off our heavy individual yokes, and take on his yoke. Jesus’ yoke is kind (or easy) when all other yokes are not. Jesus’ burden is light to us because he is with us. No wonder our hearts can be at rest with Jesus, for there is no one else who loves us and helps us more!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are our only place of quality rest. We repent of thinking that our rest can be found anywhere else. Thank you for helping us to understand this truth more and more. We trust you and love you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “The God We Love (Nicene Creed)” from Matt Redman (click here).

– JLiu

Psalm 18:6, 9a, 16-17, 19 NIV
In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
He parted the heavens and came down;
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

As David, the servant of the Lord, cried to God for help, we are also to cry to our Father God for the help that we need. In God’s love for us, he hears our voices and parts the heavens to come down. As a loving parent rescues their child from when they are in over their heads, our God rescues us. As a loving parent delights in their child, God delights in each of us. God’s love causes him to move toward us, even in the messiness of our sin and suffering. Such love, such rescue, such moving toward us shows how our God is so gentle and humble in heart.

Prayer: Father, we sing for joy under the shadow of your wings! You delight in us and care for us, and you hear us when we cry to you for help. Thank you for loving us and that we can live under your care for all our days. Help us and those we are praying for to experience your love and rescue this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship the Lord and pray as we sing “Sinking Deep” from Hillsong Young and Free (click here).

– JLiu

Philippians 2:7-8 NIV
Rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

“Jesus is the most understanding person in the universe. The point in saying that Jesus is lowly is that he is accessible. For all his majestic glory and dazzling holiness, no one in human history has ever been more approachable than Jesus Christ.” (Dane C. Ortlund, The Heart of Jesus: How He Really Feels about You)

Who could have imagined such a savior as Jesus? Jesus tells us he is gentle and lowly (or humble) in heart, and we know so, for he came down from the highest place to make himself accessible to us. All of Scripture reminds us that Jesus unreservedly loves us.

So, what weighs on our hearts today? Jesus has made himself accessible to us, so let us open our hearts today to him who is tender, affectionate, gentle and lowly.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. Thank you for understanding me always. I trust you. Help me to come to you with everything on my heart, and to be nourished by your love again today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In worship and thanksgiving, let’s sing “Salvation Belongs to You” from Passion (click here).

– JLiu

 

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

What are the first words that come to mind when describing Jesus Christ? The English preacher Thomas Goodwin said, “Christ is love covered over in flesh.” Let’s close our eyes and imagine ourselves standing in front of Jesus Christ, and seeing how approachable and kind and welcoming he is, because he is the person and embodiment of God’s perfect, pure love. In the invitation above, Jesus spoke and welcomed all to come to him, yet his very presence in the flesh already was and is the evidence of how God’s love didn’t stay at a distance from us, waiting for us to come. Instead, God’s love took action and came to us in the form of Jesus Christ. Like the way a loving father swoops down to pick up his child in affection and tenderness, make no mistake, God’s love is directed at each of us.

Church, let us receive God’s love afresh today, his tender, affectionate love that welcomes us to come to him even as he already pours his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, your love is so great and beyond our comprehension, but help us to revel and rest in it today. Help me to simply receive your love, the way a child receives and enjoys your Father’s love. Thank you for loving me always. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing along with all creation today to worship and pray to our God with “The First Hymn” from Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding (click here).

-JLiu