Human hearts can be fickle things. We often learn that from painful, firsthand experience. Emotions are fleeting, feelings change over time, and loyalty can be a one-way street. Sometimes we’re even tempted to wonder if God’s heart is like that too. How do I know God loves me?
In Seeing God’s Heart: The Certainty of His Love for Me, Pastor Lynn Wiedmann uses rich personal experiences, decades of ministry, and a lifetime of searching the Scriptures to outline five different ways that God gently and convincingly answers the burning question “How do I know God loves me?”
The following is an adapted Q&A Interview with Pastor Wiedmann to dive a little deeper into why he wrote this book and the readers he envisions:
[Question:]
When you wrote Seeing God’s Heart, you had a specific purpose in mind. What would you say is the number one goal of the book as it relates to Christians?
[Answer:]
To write this book about Jesus’ loving heart and the certainty of his love, I thought about all the fearful, anxious, guilty, (and sometimes arrogant) people with whom I have shared God’s Word in counseling and teaching. I wanted to share the gospel that I have learned to love and depend on to help others. I wanted them to be sure that God loves them.
[Q:]
As Christians, we’re all in different stages of our lives of faith. Some are young; others are old. We struggle with temptations, doubts, and fears—what are some concrete examples of ways that Seeing God’s Heart can be used and read by Christians?
[A:]
There are several ways to use this book, I think.
For Christian parents:
Parents may find some helpful suggestions about approaching the doubts and questions of their children.
For Christians who are new confirmands:
One might hope that [Seeing God’s Heart] would reinforce the gospel promises and Bible lessons learned from Luther’s catechism. There is, in the book, a strong emphasis that gives Christians permission to keep on asking questions. That comes from my own memories of asking my father, “What if I don’t believe this?” on the night before my confirmation. He answered in such a calm and supportive way. I hope new confirmands keep on asking, and gospel preaching keeps on pointing to Jesus’ heart.
For Christians who are going through counseling:
Reflecting on my counseling [as a pastor], I wish that I would have had a chapter from a book that might help Christians reflect on the gospel emphasis from the sessions. I am thinking particularly about those who struggle with doubts or struggle to apply the peace and joy of the gospel to themselves.
For Christians going through Bible instruction classes:
[This is a combination of the answers given above.] In Seeing God’s Heart, there is a strong emphasis that gives permission to keep on asking questions and be answered calmly and supportively. For those who struggle without doubts, or struggle to apply the peace and joy of the gospel—Seeing God’s Heart seeks to help them do that.
For Christians who are in assisted living or homebound situations:
I remember my father telling me about one of his elderly members who asked him, “Pastor, I have been a believer all of my life. Why does it seem like the devil is attacking me now more than ever?” Knowing the certainty of God’s love and seeing the loving heart of God in the pages of Scripture seems to be exactly what God’s saints need in their final battles.
For all Christians:
Ultimately, helping others “see God’s heart” so that they can trust God’s love in every situation is the heart and soul of outreach and gospel-preaching efforts everywhere.
[Q:]
In this book, you’ve woven together rich personal experiences, decades of ministry, and a lifetime of searching the Scriptures. What did you learn or come to appreciate more about God’s Word through the writing of this book?
[A:]
As I recalled the lessons I had learned sitting at Jesus’ feet, I used them as I tried to show God’s loving heart to the people I served. As I prepared to write this book, an often anxious, fear-filled, guilt-filled legalist opened up the pages of the Bible and found the loving heart of God. He is a mighty fortress for the fear-filled. He calms anxious hearts. He forgives sins, purifies consciences, and removes my guilt forever. And then he shows that his loving heart accomplishes more and motivates better than any rule or law.
Dear Christian, if you’re seeking certainty and searching for a love that never fails, this comforting book is for you. Discover God’s deepest heart for you in Seeing God’s Heart: The Certainty of His Love for Me.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.