Heartfelt

Heartfelt

“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very heartfelt to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women.” 2 Sam. 1:26. [Norw.] This is what David said when Jonathan died.

The word “heartfelt” has to do with that which is within; that which comes from the heart. “With my voice to the Lord I make my heartfelt prayer.” Psalm 142:2. [Norw.] There are no distractions when I pray to God like this.

It is written in different places about Jesus that He had heartfelt compassion for them. For example, when He saw that the people were weary and hadn’t eaten because they wanted to listen to Him. Mark 6:34. There was something that stirred within Him. Things also get done when something is stirred in our innermost being, because out of the heart spring the issues of life. Jesus took action; He healed the sick and fed the people, and there was no small number of them. He could have left after preaching the good tidings to them, but something stirred in His heart when He saw that they were hungry, so He also went to work in order to resolve this practical issue.

You can send up a prayer, but when the need is great, it becomes a heartfelt prayer. Acts 12:5. We are exhorted to put on tender, heartfelt mercies, heartfelt kindness, heartfelt humility, heartfelt meekness and heartfelt longsuffering. The virtues grow from within. It’s not something we can put on as a front; it must come from a pure heart.

Then those who are born again are exhorted by Peter to love one another fervently from the heart. “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” 1 Pet. 1:22. But this doesn’t take place without a cleansing. We know our own thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, for the one and against the other. It’s in our human soul.

“And above all things have fervent love for one another . . .” 1 Pet. 4:8. It is only then that we are able to serve each other with our gifts, and cover a multitude of sins, and be hospitable without grumbling. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that there was no need to write to them concerning brotherly love. They had understood this, but they were still exhorted to increase more and more. 1 Thess. 4:9-10. Perhaps our love could be more heartfelt?