17 Bible Verses That Reveal the Heart of God

By Chip Ingram

Explore how God’s desires and purposes for you are revealed through Scripture.

You’ve heard “God loves you.” But if you’re honest, that truth can feel too abstract at times. When life feels like it’s falling apart, prayers go unanswered, or you feel like you’ve failed, it can be hard to believe God actually delights in you.

I know this struggle firsthand. For years, I taught, served, and performed for God. I knew He loved me, but deep down, I didn’t believe He liked me.

That’s why how you see God matters. A distorted view of God will distort everything else: how you love others, how you face suffering, how you even view yourself.

The Bible isn’t just a rulebook or a roadmap. It’s a window into God’s heart. It reveals His emotions, His commitments, His desires, and His love. It shows what moves Him, what grieves Him, what brings Him joy. When we read it that way, it stops being a checklist and becomes an invitation to know Him as He truly is.

Let these verses anchor your heart in who God really is.

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Table of Contents

Discover the Heart of God Through These 17 Powerful Bible Verses

Bible Verses That Show God’s Compassion

1. Exodus 34:6-7

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”

This is the first time in Scripture where God describes His own character. It takes place just after Israel’s rebellion with the golden calf. Instead of leading with judgment, God reveals the core of who He is: compassionate, gracious, patient, loyal, and faithful. These aren’t temporary moods. They are His permanent attributes.

This verse becomes a foundational reference throughout the Old Testament because it shows us how God consistently relates to His people. He is not quick to punish. He is rich in love, even when we are not.

Reflect: When you fall short, do you run to God or hide from Him?

 

2. Psalm 103:13-14

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.”

David reminds us that God’s mercy flows from deep understanding. He knows our limits. He formed us. He remembers that we are frail, easily discouraged, and prone to failure. This does not excuse our sin, but it does mean that God’s discipline is never detached or cruel. He is a holy God meeting frail people with tenderness, not scorn.

Reflect: Are you trying to prove yourself to God, or are you trusting that He already knows your entire being, just like a parent does?

 

3. Hosea 11:8

“My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.”

These words are spoken by God to a rebellious Israel. His people have repeatedly turned away from Him, and they deserve judgment. But God reveals something stunning. His response is not cold or distant. His heart is stirred with compassion.

This verse gives us a rare glimpse into God’s emotions. God feels grief over sin, but He also feels longing. His love does not disappear when we disobey. It intensifies with a desire to restore.

Reflect: When you have wandered from God, do you take His words as a warning or as an invitation to come home?

 

Bible Verses That Show God’s Justice and Faithfulness

4. Deuteronomy 10:17-18

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

When life feels unfair, it’s easy to wonder if God plays favorites. Especially when you’re praying faithfully and watching others thrive while you struggle. This verse reminds us that God’s justice is not random or delayed. He sees the vulnerable, the overlooked, and the outsider. And He protects them.

He doesn’t bless based on status. The orphan and widow don’t have influence, but they have His attention. If He moves toward the powerless, He will not forget you either.

Reflect: When you feel wronged or unseen, do you believe that God’s justice still includes you?

 

5. Psalm 89:14

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.”

This verse holds a tension many Christians wrestle with: how can God be both just and loving? Here, we see the answer. Justice is not what stands in the way of love. In fact, it is what makes His love trustworthy.

Justice is part of the foundation of His rule. And when He enacts it, He does so with both unwavering integrity and love. That means when you are wronged, He will deal with it. And when you’re the one who failed, He doesn’t cancel you. He corrects you to restore you.

Reflect: Are you trying to reconcile God’s justice and love?

 

6. Lamentations 3:22-23

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

These words were written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. God’s people were suffering under the consequences of their sin. Yet in the middle of that devastation, Jeremiah declares something remarkable: God’s mercy still holds.

God’s faithfulness does not disappear in difficult times. He remains with His people and renews them. His compassion is unconditional.

Reflect: Do you measure God’s faithfulness by your circumstances? Or by His consistent character?

 

Bible Verses That Show God’s Emotions

7. John 11:35

“Jesus wept.”

This is the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most revealing. Jesus stands at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. He knows his resurrection is coming, yet He still shares the sorrow of his friends. He doesn’t dismiss their grief.

When life breaks down and you’re buried under disappointment, let this verse remind you that God does not stand at a distance. He is not burdened by your emotions. He feels them just as deeply and joins you in the ache.

Reflect: When was the last time you let yourself believe that God weeps with you, not just watches over you?

 

8. Luke 19:41

“As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.”

Jesus weeps again, but this time over a people who refuse to receive Him. Not out of frustration but sorrow. He longs for them to see the truth and turn back, but they will not.

This moment reminds us that rejection doesn’t harden God’s heart. It breaks it. Even when you have resisted His voice or gone your own way, His love remains. He grieves, not because He is powerless, but because He desires more for you than you may believe.

Reflect: Do you believe God’s sorrow over your sin is rooted in love, not anger?

 

9. Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

The book of Zephaniah begins with a warning of judgment for Judah’s idolatry and spiritual complacency. God’s people had blended into the surrounding culture, neglected justice, and turned their backs on Him. But God promises that after judgment, He will purify and restore a humble, faithful remnant. This verse is a picture of God not only rescuing His people but delighting in them. It’s His covenant love being renewed even after failure and discipline.

If you feel stuck in cycles of guilt or performance, hear this: God’s love does not merely tolerate you. He celebrates you. He delights in His people like a parent over a beloved child. If you struggle to imagine God smiling at you, this is your invitation.

Reflect: If God has already forgiven you, what would it take to believe He actually enjoys you too?

 

Bible Verses That Show God’s Love in Action

10. Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

In the legalistic Jewish system, being in right standing with God was conditional, and favor had to be earned. But Paul wrote this to the early Christians in Rome to emphasize one truth: God didn’t wait for you to get your act together. Salvation isn’t a reward for your efforts. God justifies the ungodly—not the moral, not the disciplined, not the deserving.

If you’ve failed again or feel unworthy, this verse says you were seen, known, and loved before you ever moved an inch toward God. Love like this doesn’t start with your performance. It starts with His character.

Reflect: If Jesus died for you while you were still in rebellion, what makes you think His love depends on how well you’re doing now?

 

11. 1 John 4:9-10

“This is how God showed His love… He sent His one and only Son… to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

John wrote this to a scattered church being misled by false teaching and fear. He reminds them what real love looks like. It’s not emotion. It’s sacrifice. The cross was God paying your debt.

When you feel like you don’t measure up or wonder if you’ve exhausted God’s patience, remember: love sent His Son. Not when you were strong, but when you were spiritually dead.

Reflect: Are you trying to earn a love that God already freely gives?

 

12. John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”

We often quote this verse, but rarely slow down for it. Jesus said it to Nicodemus, a religious leader who knew the law but didn’t understand grace. Jesus introduces him to a different kind of kingdom, one born of the Spirit, not self-effort. God didn’t send His Son to condemn people, but to rescue them. And it cost Him everything.

When it feels like God is distant, this verse reminds you that His love didn’t stay in heaven. It came close. It gave everything. You’re not forgotten. You’re the reason He gave.

Reflect: What would it look like to live today like you’ve already been loved that deeply?

 

13. Mark 10:21

“Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

This is the rich young ruler, asking Jesus what it takes to inherit eternal life. He claims to have kept the commandments, and he’s sincere in his question, but unwilling to surrender. Still, Jesus doesn’t shame him. Jesus saw the man’s heart and still loved him. Even knowing the young man would walk away, Jesus looked with compassion, not control.

Even in your hesitation, even when you walk away or hold something back, this is how God sees you. Not with condemnation, but with love. A love that doesn’t control or force, but patiently invites.

Reflect: When you hesitate to surrender, do you still believe God sees you with love?

 

Bible Verses That Show God’s Desire for Restoration

14. 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow… He is patient… not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

This verse was written to a church weary of waiting. False teachers had mocked the return of Jesus, and early believers were starting to doubt it would ever happen. But Peter reframes the delay not as negligence, but as mercy. God’s slowness is not a flaw. It’s restraint.

He is just, and justice will come. But His heart leans toward redemption. The Greek word for repentance (metanoia) doesn’t mean behavior tweaking. It means a total transformation of heart and mind. God is holding the door open for that transformation, not slamming it shut.

Reflect: What if the delay in your breakthrough is not a sign of God’s absence, but of His patience?

 

15. Isaiah 30:18

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you… Blessed are all who wait for Him!”

Spoken to Judah in a time of rebellion and misplaced trust in foreign alliances, this verse captures the tension between justice and mercy. God had every reason to abandon them. Instead, He waited with longing.

The Hebrew word for “longs” here (chakah) implies a deep desire paired with a deliberate delay. God waits to give grace when it can be received, to the heart that finally turns.

Reflect: Are you interpreting God’s waiting as punishment or as an invitation to turn to Him?

 

16. 1 John 3:1

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

To be called God’s child is not just a title. It’s a permanent identity grounded in adoption. For those who live in constant fear of falling short or being disqualified, this verse reminds us: your status isn’t tied to performance. It’s secured by birthright.

Reflect: Are you living like a servant trying to earn God’s approval, or a child already resting in His love?

 

17. Revelation 21:5

“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

This is the final promise in Scripture spoken by Jesus. After judgment, after pain, after all that is broken has been exposed, God speaks one final word over creation: new.

If you’ve walked through loss, or sin has left wreckage in your story, remember that God’s desire is not to patch up your life. It is to rebuild it from the inside out.

Reflect: Do you believe God’s final word over your story could be restoration, not regret?

 

One Verse That Hit Me Personally

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” —1 John 3:1

I remember a season in ministry where I felt like I had to earn God’s presence, His blessing, and His approval. But this verse reminded me I already had it. Not because of what I did, but because of who He is. John doesn’t say God might love us. He doesn’t say we’re trying to be His children. He says we are. Present tense.

That’s what the heart of God does. It doesn’t just forgive your past or tolerate your weakness. It brings you home, calls you family, and delights in calling you His own.

How to Start Understanding God’s Heart More Deeply

1. Choose One Verse From This List to Meditate on This Week

Write it down, keep it visible, and reflect on what it reveals about God’s heart. What does it tell you about God’s heart?

2. Talk to God About What You Struggle to Believe

Whether it’s His delight in you, His justice, or His patience, be honest. Invite Him to reshape your perspective through His Word.

3. Share One Insight With Someone You Trust

Truth deepens when it’s shared. Tell a friend, spouse, or small group member what moved you. Then ask how they’ve seen that aspect of God’s heart in their own story.

4. Watch “Real Love in Real Life”

Start watching the series “The Real God” today to dive deeper into God’s character. Take the next step towards knowing the heart of God, not just in theory, but in your own story.

Written By

Chip Ingram

Founder & Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge

Chip Ingram is the CEO and teaching pastor of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip has a unique ability to communicate truth and challenge people to live out their faith. He is the author of many books, including The Real God, Culture Shock and The Real Heaven. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.

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