God wants your heart. His desire for an intimate relationship with you is a bit like my daughter’s yearning for dolls.
You see, when my daughter was little, her heart yearned for Polly Pocket dolls.
I knew this because whenever she had saved enough allowance money, she begged to go to Toys R Us where we could find the newest and cutest Polly doll.
I sometimes wished that she would choose something more worthwhile. I didn’t see the appeal in another little doll. As a practical mom, I hoped she would choose something with more lasting value.
Today when I read Deuteronomy 5:29 for my quiet time, I heard God voice a similar wish for me:
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
I can hear God’s longing in that verse. To me, it sounds like He’s saying,
Oh Sharla, what I wouldn’t give if your soul were always leaning my way, your heart continually bent toward mine!
The verse tells me that my Father wants me to obey His instructions and follow His commands, but even more than that He wants me to want to follow Him. He wants me to gladly choose His way. He wants my heart.
But God doesn’t want my heart to satisfy an ego trip. He wants me to willingly follow me for my own good. I can hear Him say:
If only you would choose my way! Can’t you see your life will be so much better if you would follow my path instead of heading down the road the world is pointing to?
God wants my heart because He desires what is best for me. Just like I knew a Polly Pocket doll would not have lasting value, my Father knows that many of the things I desire will not give me enduring joy. He longs to give me all of His best blessings that come through an intimate relationship with Him. And so He asks me to incline my heart toward Him.
My daughter eventually outgrew her affection for Polly Pocket dolls and began to save her money for more lasting and important treasures.
I hope that I will also outgrow my longing for anything but Jesus.
I pray that my heart will always be leaning towards God.
Next step: A prayer for today, “Lord, how amazing that You long for my heart! Forgive me when that foolish heart has wanted things detrimental to my soul. Help me outgrow my longing for anything but You.”
Follow Me!