Ravished by the Heart of God
by Sarah Malhotra
“You are the bride of Christ! He is ravished by you!” These were the parting words at a women’s conference I attended a few years ago. Though they were meant to encourage, these words deeply troubled me. Sure, I knew that God was loving, but I didn’t think His love was a passionate kind aimed directly at me! Where did these women get this crazy idea? I never read a Bible verse about God’s ravished heart. God had to love me because I said the sinner’s prayer, not because I had stolen His heart away, right?
Because I am the type that needs a sensible answer, I went to a trusted source with my questions. I asked her point blank: “Does God love me as an individual? And is His heart really ravished by me? Or does He love me because He loves the whole world and I happen to fall into that category?” With loving eyes, she pulled out her Bible and confidently showed me all the places where God’s heart for me was revealed. I left that time determined to grow more in the knowledge of His love. After all, I had to make up for a lot of lost time.
Since then, I have grown in my understanding of God’s love. He is ravished by me, indeed! He is not mostly disappointed, frustrated or disgusted by me. He is completely and wholeheartedly in love.
Not only have I discovered a new dimension of God’s love, I have also been energized by this love. Since 2005, I have been a part of a 24/7 prayer movement. The only thing that keeps me praying and worshiping is knowing that God is delighted in me. Isaiah 62, which contains the infamous passage on intercession, begins with God calling His people Hephzibah, or the Lord delights in you. God knew full well that the only way to keep His people energized and stimulated in intercession and worship was to fill their hearts with His love. This is what He’s done for me. I am able to be invigorated in the place of prayer and worship because I am confident in His love for me.
May we all be rooted and established in love and have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!
Sarah Malhotra is a worshiper and communications specialist for the House of Prayer for All Nations in Madison, WI.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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