Yearning – God's character from A to Z

God can do anything, right? So why doesn’t He just make everyone love Him?

We know that God is omnipotent (all-powerful), so we like to think He could have anything He wanted. And it’s true. If God wanted to say the word and make everyone love and trust and follow Him, He surely could.

But He doesn’t.

He won’t, because He loves us too much to take away our choice. By making man and woman in His own image, he built the ability to choose right into us. We can decide to love Him back, or we can opt to go it alone, wherever that leads us.

God didn’t make marionettes. He made mankind.

Still, God is yearning for souls to surrender to His saving grace. What is yearning? It’s craving, deeply desiring, earnestly aching, and longing. That’s how God feels about you and me.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah spoke of God this way: “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you” (Isaiah 30:18a, NIV – emphasis mine).

Jesus looked towards Jerusalem and said, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37b, NIV – emphasis mine).

Maybe yearning is the reason God still sets the world spinning on its axis.

Could that be why He didn’t wrap up history immediately after Jesus won the once-and-for-all victory over sin and death by bursting from the grave three days after His crucifixion at Calvary?

As He gave His own life on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (See John 19:30.) But God keeps history growing – nearly two millennia later. His redemption plan was completed long ago, but God is still building His family.

Think of it: If Jehovah God had closed the curtain on this creation at that time, you and I and all the people we love would never have been born and had the opportunity to choose to love Him.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV)

Yes, God is yearning for you.

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Adapted from public domain art

Bible verse graphic – created on quote generator

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