Many people can quote what God has said, but not everyone knows what He is saying. The difference is called Rhema. Rhema is an active word of God, spoken as He speaks in real-time.
The best analogy I can give is if someone were to talk about you and they ran around quoting things you said in sixth grade. Now, the person would be quoting you and repeating things you've said, sure. But that would have nothing to do with reflecting on how you're feeling today or what you're saying now - this is how we treat God.
I'm not calling God a sixth grader, but I'm saying we easily interpret words that He has spoken in the past, to someone else, in a different situation, without asking Him what He meant or understanding the context in which He said them.
We talk about God like He's an image and enigma, and we do not have enough sensitivity to hear what He's saying day-to-day or in season. The primary communication gap between God and us isn't that we don't love Him. We all say we love Him, and I believe we do, but we do not love Him well. Why? Because we never prioritize His heart or ever think about how He feels. Our relationship with God is always about what we want, how we feel, and what we ask. We never ask God questions about His day, His thoughts, His family, or His plans for their success. I mean, when was the last time you asked God how His day was going? Now imagine someone (or your son/daughter) never asking you.
How we look at God is aloof, distant, lightyears away, and never present. We say He's near, but we don't take the time to think about it or believe so. We live a very passive faith, not an active one, which can explain the lack of [God's] presence we feel daily. What's interesting to me is it says that God breathed, and we came alive! We are only here by God's breath alone. Jesus only survived by every active Rhema Word of God. And if God's breath sustains us daily, how much closer is He than we realize? To feel anyone's breath, you'll have to be close. To be alive alone because God's breath means He is so much closer than we have known, and the key to understanding Him is just a realization of Who He is.
God says, Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Well, to understand what God's saying today to you individually, in your situation, family, and life, you'll have to be acquainted with His heart! Because out of the abundance of His heart day-to-day, God speaks.
That's what we're trying to help do. Draw attention and focus to God's heart and how He feels.
We have all had enough time to "feel." My goodness, we take so much time to soak in our own emotions and attitudes. Now it's time to put ours aside, think about His heart in all things, watching us and Him respond naturally, out of great and beautiful hearts.
You do have a beautiful heart, by the way. You may not feel it because of how people have spoken about you, or worse, how you talk about yourself when no one's watching, but He thinks you are beautiful as you are, and you have never been more perfect today before Him if you want to open up the door of your heart and let Him in.
You may not want to open it fully, and that's okay. Today a crack will do. Give God the slightest possibility to be right, the slightest chance to love, and see how He corrects your heart, soul, emotions, will, and love simply today.
