Rest and Reset: A 30-Day Devotional to Revive JoySample

The Lord sees the depths of your heart.

The Lord sees the depths of your heart, and He loves you just the same. You cannot hide away or experience enough suppression for God's healing and all-seeing hand not to reach you. There's a line in an old hymn that says, "If he has to reach way down, Jesus will pick you up." God sees and He knows. This is a biblical principle I think about every day, especially during moments when internal storms of what-if are brewing inside my mind. However, this principle is also true for those who believe they must strive for or practice perfectionism to earn God's Love.

This transactional mindset often comes from earthly relationships, or from a legalistic religious background that has shaped someone's view of God as judgmental rather than full of grace, mercy, and justice—something He calls us to, as Micah 6:8 states: 'He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?'

False beliefs can trap you mentally and spiritually, forcing you into a false reality where God doesn't want you to hide your true feelings and thoughts about your situation. Instead, most will conceal them, trying to hide their true condition from God and others. Being transparent requires a level of vulnerability that might expose wounds needing attention, which can be too painful to face. Hiding is a default for believers; this is clear in the story of Adam and Eve. After eating the fruit, when they heard God in the cool of the day, their first instinct was to hide. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Hiding never leads to healing, but exposing yourself to the healing balm of godly counsel, biblical truth, and worship will. The more genuine we are with God in prayer, the better we can experience His help within our hearts.

In Psalm 139, David proclaimed, "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me." When we examine the Hebrew word for "search," it also means "explore." This word paints a picture of the clarity and insight the Lord has into our deepest inner struggles. It's not just the negative experiences that are in God's view, but also the positive and healthy areas. God sees it all, and He loves you. If you're honest, could you truly admit that you believe God loves you and died for you? Not just your gifts, skills, performance, quirks, or service, but because you are made in His image. If you don't believe this, I encourage you to search the Scriptures, focus on Love, and ask the Lord to make this truth come alive in your heart.

Sometimes, the lack of joy and restlessness isn't because things are entirely wrong, but because you haven't made right the principle of God's Love despite your past. We all have past experiences we're not proud of. However, God has redeemed us from our past, wiping it clean, and given us a fresh start. Paul said in Philippians 3:13, "'Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,'

Release your past and trust the renewal Christ offers through His shed blood on the cross. The Lord knows the depths of your heart and your history, and He loves you just the same.

Be Encouraged.