Jealousy seems like a bad thing. Can it ever be a good thing? We have a hard time thinking about God being jealous, but the Scriptures say just that:
"Again the word of the Lord Almighty came to me. Thi is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.'"
-Zechariah 8:1-2
The Hebrew word there is 'qana', which means to provoke to envy, jealously or anger. Simply, God is a jealous God. What's He jealous for? Doesn't He have everything? It's simple. God is jealous for Israel's attention and affection. He wants it all. God doesn't just want 99.9% of your heart. He's jealous for the other .1%. This is not because God is mean spirited. It's because He loves us. He wants what is best for us, and what is best for us is to be in complete union with Him. When we are holding back a little portion of our lives, we are holding back our potential. God is jealous for what we can be. He is jealous for what we're missing out on. He loves all of us and wants all of us. So, it begs the question: is there anything in our lives for which God is jealous? Are there sections of our hearts that are not committed to Him? Are there corners of our soul that are roped off from His influence and blessing? Let us give it all to Him. Let us trust His love, for it burns for us, willing us to our best life. Let us live into it.
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