The Heartbeat of the Bible: Love

Have you ever loved someone so deeply that you would do anything for them? I’m not talking about a controlling, manipulative kind of love that demands an action to prove it, as I and so many others experienced from an abuser. Instead, I mean an unconditional, everlasting love that only God can fill our hearts with. God is love (I John 4:8, ESV).

The motivation behind God’s actions toward us and for us drives His desires for a relationship with us, His promises, and the provisions that bring it to completion. God’s promises are everlasting. They align with His desires; so, we can trust He will make provisions to fulfill every one of them.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, emphasis added). Don’t overlook that just because you’ve heard it before. Pause for a moment to reflect on its magnification; gently let its simplicity enter your heart and mind.

One of my favorite phrases in the Bible is God’s declaration, “I will be their God” and “They will be my people,” known as the Covenant Formula. According to Biblehub.com, “it represents the ultimate goal of God’s relationship with humanity.” He desires to be with His people. He created us to have a relationship with Him.

Echoed throughout both the Old and New Testaments – it isn’t just a repetitive phrase – it’s the backbone of the entire biblical narrative. In Jeremiah 31:33, we see a significant shift as God promises to move this relationship from external rules to the heart.

Basically, God is telling us that He will be our God for the long term through a dependable covenant sealed by His promise. God will provide all that is needed to uphold the covenant and will rejoice in doing good. In other words, God keeps His promises not reluctantly but with great joy (Jer. 32:40-41, ESV).

This love isn’t just for individuals; it’s designed to give us ‘one heart,’ uniting us to serve Him with a reverence that protects our children and us from harm.

His promises cannot fail because they are as firm as the earth He created (Jer. 33:2). Just as God tells Jeremiah, all he needs to do is ask, and He will reveal hidden things—this has a broader application for all of God’s people. Because of His great love and grace, He will give us understanding of His Word and His purposes in our lives (Jer. 33:3).

What an incredible assurance we can depend on to get us through. God’s character is good, reliable, and trustworthy because His love for us never ends: “Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Jer. 33:11, emphasis added)! This is also repeated many times throughout the OT, but is most closely associated with Ps. 136, where it appears in every verse. No matter what happens, we can remember that God’s covenant love never quits.

God says He will send a righteous Branch who shall execute justice and righteousness in the land, fulfill the promises, and serve as priest and king (Jer. 33:18; 2 Sam. 7:16; I Chron. 17:11-12). This explicitly points to the coming of Christ, bridging the gap between the Old and New Testaments. It is like an architect’s plan for restoration.

In Jeremiah’s time, the Davidic monarchy resembled a felled tree—the kings were corrupt, and the nation was on the verge of exile. By promising a “Branch” (or “Shoot”) emerging from a stump, God was assuring that even though the tree seemed dead, new life would grow from the same royal “root.”

The Old Testament provides a blueprint for the life and mission of Jesus. Just as we see Jeremiah pointing to the coming of Christ, one can also observe this foreshadowing in the other Old Testament books.

God is revealing His ultimate plan for restoration: the prophecies demonstrate God’s restoration of a broken lineage and a failed priesthood, perfectly fulfilled through Christ. We see references to the Branch in the Old Testament throughout the Gospels, and we recognize that Jesus fulfilled every role and detail, all carefully aligned with the ancient blueprint of the Branch.

The Provisions, Promises, and Desires of God are the heartbeat of the Bible. Stemming from His love, these truths establish the foundation, the framing, and the finished work of Jesus Christ.

God Provides (Jehovah Jireh)

This is the “materials” phase. God doesn’t just give us a task; He provides what is needed to complete it.

• The Ultimate Provision: Just as He provided the ram for Abraham on the mountain (Genesis 22:14), He provided Christ as the ultimate “resource” for our restoration.
• Daily Provision: Matthew 6:33 promises that when we seek His kingdom first, “all these things” (our basic needs) will be provided.

God Keeps His Promises

This is the “contract.” Unlike humans, who might overpromise and underdeliver, the Bible states that God is not a man who would lie (Numbers 23:19).

• The Track Record: Joshua 21:45 says, “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” * The “Branch”: As we discussed, even when the Davidic line looked like a dead stump, God kept His 400-year-old promise to bring a King who would rule forever.

God Desires to Be with Us

This is the “occupancy.” A house isn’t a home until the owner moves in.

• The Tabernacle: God told Moses, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8).
• Immanuel: The name literally means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
• The Holy Spirit: Jesus promised He wouldn’t leave us as orphans but would send His Spirit to live in us (John 14:16-18).

It’s incredible to realize that the Creator of the universe wants to dwell in our lives and hearts. He is the ultimate Project Manager, making sure that what He started in us, He will finish (Philippians 1:6).

“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17–19, emphasis added)

Reflection: From the Stump to the Spring

Take a moment to quiet your heart and consider how God’s “blueprint” is unfolding in your own life today.

• The “Dead Stump”: Is there an area of your life—a dream, a relationship, or a sense of hope—that feels like a felled tree? How does the promise of the “Branch” (the new life growing from the stump) change how you see that situation?
• The Contract vs. The Heart: Are you currently relating to God through “external rules” (the hustle to be “good enough”), or are you resting in the “Cistern of Grace” where He has written His love directly on your heart?
• The Project Manager: If you viewed your current struggle not as a “failure” but as a “construction zone,” how would that change your level of peace? Do you trust that the One who laid the foundation will also complete the finished work?
• A Simple Prayer: “Lord, thank You for being the God who provides the materials, keeps the promises, and desires to move in. Today, I stop trying to be the architect, and I trust Your blueprint instead.”

I’d love to hear from you! Which verse or image from this post resonated most with your heart today?