Heart of the Father: A Devotional From Ryan EllisSample

Scripture: 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - John 17:23 Devotional: In John 17, Jesus reminds us through a beautiful poetry of language that through His death and resurrection, God chose to mend this separation so we could experience a sense of togetherness with Him. Before Jesus, no one would have ever thought of God as a loving Father, but with Jesus in the equation, we are able to say, “God truly loves me as His son and daughter.” At the end of the day, Jesus is also calling us to remain unified with each other through the love of the Father. He reveals to us His heart and calls us to build relationships with one another. We are unified as family through the love of the Father, and He asks us to mimic the love He extends to us to our brothers and sisters. God does not want a relationship that changes with our actions -- He wants a relationship where we talk to Him, are open to him, and that is rooted in love. When I read these verses, I exhale in praise to God who has every right to hold us accountable for the sins we commit. How often do I hold people accountable to their actions? How often does the love I give to others change depending on the way they love me in return? Jesus says in verse 23 that the desires of God’s heart also reside in me. And if I truly believe that to be true, then I must learn to approach others with the same heart that the Father approaches me -- with a love founded in unity rather than circumstances. Prayer: Lord, Thank you for showing me the depth of your love by sending your son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.