So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
When I began writing these blogposts in 2016, a friend gave me a magnet that said, From God’s Heart To My Pen. Of course, seeking to know the heart of God is a serious endeavor. Truly knowing Him changes people—and I knew it would change me. I was up for that challenge then and I continue to be up for it today when I sit down to write another 350 word article for Wisdom from the Word.
The heart refers to the central part of a person—the nature of a person. To know the heart of someone is to know the person’s innermost character, feelings, or inclinations. With that thought in mind, then the heart of God is the essence of who He is—what He desires—His will—His purposes.
In Genesis, we see how God gave special attention to the creation of the human race. In chapter 1 verse 26, God commanded Himself, when He said, “Let us make man in our image (pattern), after our likeness (similarity and potential).” Verse 27 draws attention to male and female who were God’s special creation and who bore His image—however, that image was not physical, for God is Spirit.
When Jesus was incarnated, He had to be made in “human likeness”—He did not have that likeness as part of His nature before. Ephesians 4:24 says that the likeness to God is a matter of “true righteousness and holiness.” That is, it refers to the inner nature—the heart—not the physical body. It is thrilling to know that I am created in the image of God and that His heart has been graciously passed on to me.
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Spending time with God creates greater intimacy with Him. My desires align with His—His heart to my heart and my heart to my pen. The more I know Him, the more I cannot help but declare, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for You, O God.” (Psalm 42:1 ESV)