GOD UNDERSTANDS US

The Holy Emotions of a Covenant God

FOUNDATIONAL TEXT

Let us begin with the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:15–16 (NKJV)

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

This is our foundation.

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize.

In other words — He understands.

The word sympathize means “to suffer with.”

God is not distant from human weakness.

He entered it.

And because He understands, we are invited to come boldly.

Now listen to this alongside Psalm 103.

Psalm 103:13–14 (NKJV)

“As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”

He knows our frame.

He remembers we are dust.

That is Father language.

God understands us — not only as High Priest — but as Heavenly Father.

INTRODUCTION

Today I want to speak to you about something deeply personal.

God understands us.

Not because He studied us.
Not because He observed us from a distance.
But because He designed us… revealed Himself through emotion… and then entered our humanity.

Emotions are not merely human feelings.

There are emotions that are corrupted by the flesh.
There are emotions that are selfish.
There are emotions that are insecure.

But emotion itself did not originate in man.

It originated in God.

And when we see the emotional life of God revealed in Scripture, we begin to understand something powerful:

God is not cold.
God is not detached.
God is not indifferent.

He feels.

And when Jesus came, He did not come as a robot in a body.
He came fully God and fully man — entering the full spectrum of human experience — yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 says:

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

He understands.

I. GOD IS JEALOUS — HOLY COVENANT PASSION

One of the names of God is El Qanna — The Jealous God.

Exodus 34:14 says:

“For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

That is not insecurity.
That is covenant passion.

Jealousy in the flesh says:
“I am afraid of losing you because of my insecurity.”

Jealousy in God says:
“I will not share your heart with what will destroy you.”

Zechariah 8:2:

“I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.”

There is heat in that word. Fire.

God does not casually love you.

He burns with protective covenant love.

When you have ever felt protective over your marriage…
Protective over your children…
Protective over something sacred —

You are reflecting Him.

II. GOD CAN BE GRIEVED

Psalm 78:40–41 says:

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!”

Isaiah 63:10:

“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit…”

Ephesians 4:30:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”

The Holy Spirit can be grieved.

Grief is relational pain.

This means when we ignore Him…
When we harden our hearts…
When we choose our way over His leading —

It is not mechanical disobedience.

It is relational injury.

And I will tell you something personal.

There was a moment when I felt frustrated in my own marriage — feeling like I was getting less attention than a cell phone… what I jokingly call the “prison phone.”

And in that moment of frustration, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart:

“How often do you give your attention to everything else instead of Me?”

Suddenly my frustration became revelation.

I understood something about the heart of God.

He understands that feeling.

Because He has experienced it.

III. THE PAIN OF BETRAYAL — HOSEA

God once told a prophet to marry a harlot.

Hosea.

Why?

To demonstrate what it felt like for God to be betrothed to Israel while she ran after idols.

Hosea 11:8 is one of the most astonishing verses in the Bible:

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel? …
My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.”

“My heart churns.”

That is emotional language.

God feels the tension between justice and mercy.

He understands betrayal.

He understands unfaithfulness.

He understands loving someone who runs from Him.

And yet He remains faithful.

IV. JESUS ENTERED HUMAN EMOTION

When Jesus came, He did not avoid emotion.

He embraced it.

John 11:35 — the shortest verse in Scripture:

“Jesus wept.”

He knew He would raise Lazarus.

He still wept.

He feels before He fixes.

Mark 3:5:

“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts…”

Anger and grief at the same time.

His anger was never selfish.

It was holy indignation against hardness.

Matthew 9:36:

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them…”

Moved.

Something stirred inside Him.

Jesus experienced:

• Fatigue
• Hunger
• Rejection
• Betrayal
• Family dynamics
• Misunderstanding

He loved His mother.
He honored His Father.
He wept over Jerusalem.

Luke 19:41:

“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it.”

V. GETHSEMANE — THE DEPTH OF HUMAN AGONY

Matthew 26:37–38:

“He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed… ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.’”

Luke 22:44:

“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood…”

Agony.

Distress.

Sorrow.

This is not weakness.

This is sinless emotional intensity under redemptive pressure.

And then on the cross:

Matthew 27:46:

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

He entered the emotional depth of abandonment.

He felt what separation feels like.

So when you feel alone — He understands.

VI. HOLY EMOTION VS. FLESHLY EMOTION (Expanded)

Now let us slow down here, because this is where many believers struggle.

There are emotions that are unique to the flesh.

Selfish jealousy.
Manipulative anger.
Insecurity that demands reassurance.
Bitterness that rehearses wounds.
Frustration that lashes out.

Those are not reflections of God’s nature — they are distortions caused by sin.

But do not make the mistake of thinking emotion itself is sinful.

Jesus felt anger — but without hatred.
Jesus felt sorrow — but without despair.
Jesus felt distress — but without rebellion.
Jesus felt abandonment — but without unbelief.

The difference is not the presence of emotion.

The difference is the purity of it.

Fleshly emotion says:
“I feel this — therefore I must react.”

Holy emotion says:
“I feel this — therefore I will bring it under the Father.”

In Gethsemane, Jesus said:

“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39, NKJV)

That is emotion surrendered.

That is humanity submitted.

That is what redemption looks like inside the emotional life.

Some of us were taught to suppress emotion.
Others were taught to justify every emotion.

But Jesus shows us something better.

He neither suppresses nor indulges.

He sanctifies.

And this is why Hebrews says He was tempted in all points as we are — yet without sin.

That means when you feel:

Frustrated.
Lonely.
Overlooked.
Misunderstood.
Jealous for attention.
Protective of relationship.

He understands the feeling.

But He invites you to experience it the way He did — without corruption.

Holiness is not the absence of emotion.

Holiness is emotion purified by love.

VII. GOD ALSO REJOICES

We often focus on God’s anger.

We speak about His jealousy.

We reflect on His grief.

But listen carefully — because this is where the heart softens.

Zephaniah 3:17 says:

“The Lord your God in your midst…
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

The Almighty rejoices.

Not tolerates.
Not merely forgives.
Not reluctantly accepts.

Rejoices.

And not quietly.

“With singing.”

Can you imagine that?

The God who was grieved by rebellion…
The God whose heart churned in Hosea…
The God who wept through Jesus…

That same God sings over you.

Some of you struggle to believe that.

You believe He endures you.
You believe He manages you.
You believe He corrects you.

But rejoices over you?

Yes.

When the prodigal son returned, the father did not lecture first.

He ran.

He embraced.

He celebrated.

Why?

Because divine love is not emotionally sterile.

It is alive.

And if God can feel grief,
And God can feel jealousy,
And God can feel righteous anger —

Then understand this:

He can feel joy over you.

When you repent.
When you turn.
When you worship.
When you obey in weakness.

He rejoices.

And some of you need to let that settle into your heart.

He is not constantly disappointed in you.

He is deeply invested in you.

VIII. WHY THIS MATTERS

Now here is why this matters.

If God understands us —

Then we can stop pretending.

Hebrews 4:16 says:

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Boldly.

Not arrogantly — but confidently.

Because we are not approaching a detached judge.

We are approaching a High Priest who has felt what we feel.

When you kneel in prayer frustrated — He understands.

When you feel overlooked in your own home — He understands.

When you feel betrayed by someone you trusted — He understands.

When you feel the ache of loneliness — He understands.

When you feel the pull of temptation — He understands.

And because He understands —

He does not shame you for feeling.

He invites you to be transformed through it.

This changes how we pray.

Instead of hiding emotion, we bring it.

Instead of pretending strength, we confess weakness.

Instead of reacting in the flesh, we surrender to the Spirit.

The goal is not emotional numbness.

The goal is emotional redemption.

God understands us — not to excuse sin —

But to lead us into maturity.

He is forming in us the emotional life of Christ.

ALTAR CALL — COME TO THE ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS

I want to speak now to hearts in this room.

Some of you have felt alone in your emotion.

You have felt things you did not know how to process.

Anger.
Grief.
Jealousy.
Loneliness.
Frustration.
Shame.

And perhaps you thought:

“If I were more spiritual, I wouldn’t feel this.”

But listen carefully.

Jesus felt.

The difference is not whether you feel.

The difference is where you take it.

Today, you can bring your emotion to the One who understands it.

You can bring your grief.
You can bring your frustration.
You can bring your wounded heart.
You can bring your divided attention.
You can bring your coldness.

And you will not find rejection.

You will find a High Priest who sympathizes.

You will find mercy.

You will find grace.

If you are here today and you have felt distant from God —
Maybe you have ignored His leading.
Maybe you have run after other affections.
Maybe your heart has been divided.

Remember Hosea.

Remember the churning heart of God.

He is not eager to abandon you.

He is eager to restore you.

If you are here and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ —

Understand this:

The God who understands you
Also went to the cross for you.

He entered human suffering.
He bore your sin.
He felt abandonment so you would never have to.

And today He invites you into covenant relationship.

If you need to return to Him — come.

If you need to surrender to Him — come.

If you need your emotional life healed — come.

If you need to lay down fleshly reaction and receive holy transformation — come.

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace.

Because the God who understands us
Is also the God who saves us.

Amen.