A Heart Like His

I started the Bible study, "A Heart Like His" this summer with a group, but life happened and we didn't get to finish this study together.  I struggle to leave anything unfinished - at least for a great length of time.  So, I finished the study on my own and I learned some great lessons from studying the life of David.  I learned how God saw something special in him - "A Heart Like His".  David made many mistakes and paid the consequences, but when David was seeking God with all his heart - God used him in a mighty way.  I think God does the same for us.  We all make mistakes and suffer consequences - whether they be great or small.  But, when we are seeking God with all our heart, God changes our hearts and makes our hearts more like His.  

Recently, events have happened that led me to seek God with all my heart.  What happened from that?  God changed my heart.  These are the verses that He revealed to me during this time:

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  - Colossians 3:12-14

Of course, each day has brought forth other Scriptures that tell me that I am to love and I am to forgive.  This past Sunday, it was no accident that the lyrics that we sang during worship spoke of the love I am to share with others.  Here are some of the lyrics:

Tear Down The Walls
This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You
Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You

~

Point of Difference
Call us out let the world see
You are God and this hope is ours

So call us out, let the world see
You are God as we sing

Open the skies
Flood the Earth with your light
This is love to break a world indifferent
As we lift up our eyes
Fill our hearts with your fire
In a world the same we'll be the difference, the difference

So call us out let the world see
You are God and this hope is ours

Our eyes are open
Every chain now broken
In this world we are different
Let your love become us
As we live to make you famous
We're in this world but we are different

~

I feel very certain that God has called me to do the following:
•    love those who seem unlovable
•    forgive those who seem to be unforgivable
•    to be set apart - to be in this world, but not of this world

So, through all of this I think I have experienced a glimpse of how Jesus loves me.  Despite all my sins, He forgave me.  When I was unlovable, He loved me.  Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins.  In view of His mercy, I can forgive as the Lord forgave me.  I can also show compassion and kindness to those who are in need.  The One whose opinion matters the most has spoken loud and clear to me.  I will be obedient to the Lord.

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. - 1 John 4:20-21