"Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them." - A.W. Tozer

Are you aware that the God of the universe longs to engage in a profoundly personal and intimate relationship with you? That He is continually romancing your heart back to His?

As author John Eldridge states in his book The Sacred Romance, "Some years into our spiritual journey, after waves of anticipation that mark the beginning of any pilgrimage have begun to ebb into life's middle years of service and busyness, a voice speaks to us in the midst of all we are doing. There is something missing in all of this, it suggests... Aren't you thirsty? Listen to your heart. There is something more."

For so many of us, religion has looked like various disciplines, rules, and "spiritual activities," mainly out of touch with the deepest longings of our hearts. In living out a religious life devoid of emotional connection to God, we fail to recognize it is God's still small voice calling to our hearts. Our faith becomes a series of religious acts that involve more of our thoughts than our emotions, and we find ourselves having lost our hearts.

Eldridge tells us that to lose our hearts is to lose everything and that this state of being best describes most men and women in our day. And that the many forces driving our modern-day life - busyness, drivenness, and living in constant survival mode- have made us weary and our hearts vulnerable. Life tends to teach us to suppress our heart's longings to live in a world of efficiency and performance. We divorce ourselves from our hearts. He goes on to say that so often in life, busyness substitutes for meaning, efficiency substitutes for creativity, and functional relationships substitute for love. Communion with God gets replaced with activity for God.

But within each of our hearts is a divine yearning for more, a sacred romancing of our hearts. Imagine a God who, like a devoted lover, seeks your heart with unwavering ardor. 

This sacred romance is not a passive relationship but an active, reciprocal exchange of love. We see it in the creation story when God forms humanity from the dust of the earth, breathing life into us and imparting a fragment of His own divine essence. From that moment, God has been relentlessly pursuing our hearts.

Throughout Scripture, we find evidence of God's passionate pursuit. In the Old Testament, the metaphor of a bridegroom and bride is often used to describe the relationship between God and His people. In Hosea, God's relentless love for His unfaithful people is portrayed through the story of the prophet who marries a prostitute, symbolizing God's unwavering commitment even in the face of human waywardness.

In the New Testament, we encounter the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, all revealing the Father's longing to restore His lost children to a place of intimacy and belonging. The greatest demonstration of God's love is found in the sacrificial act of Jesus on the cross, where His love poured out as a crimson river, reconciling us to God and inviting us into this divine romance.

But how do we actively engage in this sacred romance with our Creator? 

It begins with surrender. Just as any romance requires vulnerability and an opening of the heart, so does our relationship with God. We must lay down our defenses, our fears, and our doubts and allow Him to pursue us with His relentless love.

• Prayer becomes a tender dialogue with our Beloved, where we pour out our hopes, fears, and desires and listen for His still small voice in return. 

• Reading Scripture becomes an exploration of His love letters to us, revealing His character, His promises, and His desires for our lives. 

• Worship becomes a dance of adoration, where our hearts and souls are lifted to the heavens in joyful celebration of our Beloved.

As we embark on this sacred romance with God, we discover that it is a journey of transformation. Our hearts are molded and refined, our brokenness is healed, and our identity is restored as we become more fully who God created us to be. In His presence, we find the fulfillment of our deepest longings and the purpose for which we were made.

Dear friends, may we embrace the truth of God's sacred romance with our hearts. Let us open ourselves to His pursuit, allowing His love to penetrate the deepest recesses of our souls. In this divine dance of love, we find meaning, purpose, and the deepest joy our hearts could ever know.

In Him,

Jennifer

Love to read? Be sure to pick up a copy of John Eldridge's book, The Sacred Romance. Check out his book along with many of our favorites by following Loto Wellness Collective on the GoodReads platform.