The Fondling of Heaven

Friday, May 31, 2024

When I was little, grown-ups in my family were always patting or rubbing my head. My parents explained that it was an expression of love. They were touching me because their hearts were filled with love toward me. A word used to describe God is 'rachamim', meaning 'mercies'. It comes from a root that means "to fondle," or "gently touch" someone you love. Just as the adults felt towards me when I was a child, so God loves you. Just as your heart overflows with compassion and sympathy towards the needy, so God's heart overflows with compassion for you. Too often our ideas about God's mercy are more of a legal concept than of the heart. But now you know how He feels towards you. His heart overflows with deep compassion when He thinks about you. He wants to touch you in your spirit and heart with His tender love and affection. He wants to put His arms around you and hold you tight. God doesn't just let you in the door of the kingdom, He loves you from His heart with rachamim; with deep compassions and tender fondlings.

From Message #329 - The Blessings of the Merciful