I have been trying to look for scriptures that speak about God's affection. As a woman who grew up in a dysfunctional home without men, I long to feel loved or to find scriptures that display God's affection for me. At this point in my life I am learning how to rely on God for my self-worth, emotional support, etc, as opposed to the way I have found that support for the past twenty-five years, which is in men. This would help me a lot. -- Mia
I would search your concordance for words like longing, tender, love, and so on. Better, take a look at the passages expressing God's feelings towards Israel. Pay special attention to the revelation of the heart of God in the prophets--everything from Isaiah onward. I would also look at the "naturalness" of Jesus' interactions with women. Here was a man without hang-ups, one who accepted others where they were without abandoning hope that they might change. Last, consider that God's affection is not like man's affection: there is nothing carnal about it.
Be careful as you seek for parallels, analogies, and illustrations. God created sexuality, but he is not a sexual being. (There is no "Mrs. God"; God does not struggle with his celibacy.) He does not require affection in order for him to feel complete; even though there is a certain completeness, a complementarity within the Trinity. For that is where love in relationship has existed from eternity. Other passages to consider: Deuteronomy 10:15, Philippians 1:8, and Psalms 130-131.
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