“I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be My people and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.” — Jeremiah 24:7 (ESV)
Made for Relationship
We were made for relationship with our Heavenly Father. We were made to know and be known by Him. That one fact is meant to define both our identity and our actions. It’s meant to lay the foundation on which we live, think, feel and do. And it’s only in living with relationship with God as our chief and central pursuit that our lives reflect His unceasing love and devotion.
For a long time, I’ve lived with the wrong things at the center of my life. I’ve allowed earthly success, admiration of others, identity in my works, and an image of perfection to be the things that drove me moment by moment. And in those pursuits, I only found disappointment, exhaustion and unfulfilled longings. Even within the context of Christianity, there is a temptation to be led by that which is worldly, which will never satisfy.
But in God, there is another way. In the love of a grace-filled Heavenly Father, we can cease striving and start enjoying life founded on relationship with our Creator. Jeremiah 24:7 says, “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be My people and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.” Within each of us is a longing to ground ourselves in our identity as the people of God. We are created to live out of the powerful knowledge that our God is real, knowable, loves us unconditionally, and has made His nearness wholly available to us.
You were made to live with the knowledge of God’s love in every season. You were made to taste and see that your Heavenly Father is good. You were made to live in constant communion with your Creator, that every moment would be filled with the abundance of His presence. God has life for you. He has love for you. And He won’t rest until the entirety of your heart is His. God’s love is entirely jealous while at the same time wholly sacrificial.
Give God your heart today. Center your life around relationship with Him. Root and ground yourself in His unceasing love and faithfulness. May your life be forever changed as you set your eyes on the Author and Perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
— Craig Denison, First15
For more information on First15 or to subscribe to get First15 in your inbox daily, visit first15.org/subscribe.
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to
devotionals@sportsspectrum.com.
