Jehovah Has Tender Affection for You

1. What comes to your mind when you think of Jehovah?

HAVE you ever tried to imagine what Jehovah is like? When you speak to him in prayer, what comes to your mind? Although Jehovah is invisible, the Bible describes him in various ways. Jehovah is called “a sun and a shield” and “a consuming fire.” (Ps. 84:11; Heb. 12:29) His presence is described as being similar to a sapphire stone, a glowing metal, and a brilliant rainbow. (Ezek. 1:26-28) Some of these descriptions of Jehovah may fill us with awe or may even intimidate us.

2. What might hinder some from drawing close to Jehovah?

² Because we cannot see Jehovah, we may find it difficult to believe that he loves us. Some think that Jehovah could never love them because of their past experiences in life. Perhaps they never had a father who loved them. Jehovah understands such feelings and how they affect us. To help us, he reveals his beautiful personality in his Word.

3. Why should we take a close look at Jehovah’s love?

³ The one word that best describes Jehovah is love. (1 John 4:8) Love defines him. It influences everything he does. God’s love is so warm and so powerful that he even extends it to those who do not love him. (Matt. 5:44, 45) In this article, we will take a close look at Jehovah and his love. The more we learn about our God, the more we will love him.

JEHOVAH LOVES US VERY MUCH

4. How does Jehovah’s tender affection make you feel? (See also picture.)

⁴ “Jehovah is very tender in affection.” (Jas. 5:11) In the Bible, he compares himself to an affectionate mother. (Isa. 66:12, 13) Just imagine a mother who lovingly cares for her little child. She tenderly bounces him on her knees and speaks to him in a gentle, soothing voice. When he cries or is in pain, she makes sure he has what he needs. When we are in pain, we can count on Jehovah’s love. The psalmist wrote: “When anxieties overwhelmed me, you comforted and soothed me.”​—Ps. 94:19.

5. What does Jehovah’s loyal love mean to you?

⁵ Jehovah is loyal. (Ps. 103:8) He does not give up on us when we do something wrong. The nation of Israel disappointed Jehovah time and again; yet, he expressed his unfailing love to his repentant people with these words: “You became precious in my eyes, you were honored, and I have loved you.” (Isa. 43:4, 5) God’s love has not changed. We can always rely on it. Even if we have made serious mistakes, Jehovah does not abandon us. When we repent and return to Jehovah, we will find his love for us intact. He promises that “he will forgive in a large way.” (Isa. 55:7) The Bible describes this forgiveness as bringing “seasons of refreshing . . . from Jehovah himself.”​—Acts 3:19.

6. What does Zechariah 2:8 teach us about Jehovah?

⁶ Read Zechariah 2:8. Because he loves us, Jehovah is sensitive to our feelings and is eager to protect us. He feels hurt when we are hurt. As a result, we can rightly pray: “Guard me like the pupil of your eye.” (Ps. 17:8) The eye is a sensitive and precious part of the body. So when Jehovah compares us to the pupil of his eye, it is as if he were saying, ‘Anyone who harms you, my people, harms what is precious to me.’

7. Why do we need to strengthen our confidence in Jehovah’s love?

⁷ Jehovah wants us to be convinced that he loves us personally. But he knows that because of past experiences, we may wonder whether he could love us. Or we may be facing situations right now that test our confidence in Jehovah’s love. What will strengthen our confidence? Learning how Jehovah expresses his love toward Jesus, the anointed, and all of us.

HOW JEHOVAH EXPRESSES HIS LOVE

8. Why was Jesus convinced of his Father’s love?

⁸ For untold ages, Jehovah and his beloved Son forged a close bond of deep love and affection. Their relationship is the oldest in the universe. Jehovah clearly expressed his love for Jesus, as we read at Matthew 3:17. Jehovah could have simply said, ‘This is the one whom I have approved.’ However, he wanted us to know how much he loves Jesus, so he called him “my Son, the beloved.” Jehovah was proud of who Jesus was and of what he was about to do. (Eph. 1:7) And Jesus had no doubts about his Father’s feelings for him. Jehovah’s love was so real to Jesus that he could feel it deep inside. He repeatedly expressed with confidence that the Father loved him.​—John 3:35; 10:17; 17:24.

9. What expression describes Jehovah’s love for the anointed? Explain. (Romans 5:5)

⁹ Jehovah also confirms his love for the anointed. (Read Romans 5:5.) Notice the expression “poured out.” One reference work describes it as “come upon us like a stream.” What a powerful image to highlight the abundance of Jehovah’s love for the anointed! The anointed know that they are “loved by God.” (Jude 1) The apostle John expressed their feelings when he wrote: “See what sort of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) Is Jehovah’s love limited to the anointed? No, Jehovah has proved his love for all of us.

10. What is the greatest confirmation of Jehovah’s love for you?

¹⁰ What is the greatest confirmation of Jehovah’s love? The ransom​—the most extraordinary act of love in the universe! (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8) Jehovah gave his precious Son, allowing him to die for all humans so that our sins can be forgiven and we can be His friends. (1 John 4:10) The more we meditate on the price Jehovah and Jesus paid, the more we can understand how much they love every one of us. (Gal. 2:20) The ransom was not paid to satisfy a cold, legal contract. It is a gift of love. Jehovah has proved his love for us by sacrificing what was most precious to him​—Jesus. Jehovah allowed his Son to suffer and die in our behalf.

11. What do we learn from Jeremiah 31:3?

¹¹ As we have seen, Jehovah does not keep his feelings to himself, but he warmly expresses his love. (Read Jeremiah 31:3.) Jehovah has drawn us to him because he loves us. (Compare Deuteronomy 7:7, 8.) Nothing and no one can separate us from that love. (Rom. 8:38, 39) How does this love make you feel? Read Psalm 23, and see the effect that Jehovah’s love and tender care had on David and the effect it can have on all of us.

HOW DOES JEHOVAH’S LOVE MAKE YOU FEEL?

12. How would you summarize Psalm 23?

¹² Read Psalm 23:1-6. Psalm 23 is a song that expresses confidence in Jehovah’s love and tender care. David, the writer of this psalm, describes the strong bond that existed between him and his Shepherd, Jehovah. David felt safe letting Jehovah direct him, and he was totally dependent on Him. David knew that Jehovah’s love would pursue him all the days of his life. What made him so confident?

13. Why was David sure of Jehovah’s care?

¹³ “I will lack nothing.” David felt well cared for because Jehovah’s provisions had been constant. David also enjoyed Jehovah’s friendship and favor. That is why he was sure that no matter what the future would bring, Jehovah would continue to care for all his needs. David’s trust in Jehovah’s tender love was more powerful than any of his worries and gave him deep happiness and satisfaction.​—Ps. 16:11.

14. How may Jehovah lovingly care for us?

¹⁴ Jehovah lovingly cares for us, especially when bad things happen in our life. Claire,a who has served at Bethel for over 20 years, felt helpless when her family faced one devastating blow after another. Her father suffered a debilitating stroke, one of her sisters was disfellowshipped, and her family lost their small business and their home. How did Jehovah show his loving care to them? Claire says: “Jehovah saw to it that my family always had whatever they needed for each day. Time and again, what Jehovah provided was beyond anything I could ever imagine! I often think about the moments when I experienced Jehovah’s tender love, and I treasure them. These memories have helped me to keep going during trials.”

15. Why did David feel refreshed? (See also picture.)

¹⁵ “He refreshes me.” At times, David felt distressed because of all the problems and trials he was facing. (Ps. 18:4-6) Yet, Jehovah’s tender love and care refreshed him. Jehovah led his exhausted friend to “grassy pastures” and “well-watered resting-places.” As a result, David recovered his strength and was able to keep going.​—Ps. 18:28-32.

16. How has Jehovah’s love refreshed you?

¹⁶ Similarly today, “it is because of Jehovah’s loyal love that we have not come to our finish” when faced with life’s trials and struggles. (Lam. 3:22; Col. 1:11) Consider the example of Rachel. She was devastated when her husband left both her and Jehovah during the COVID-19 pandemic. What did Jehovah do for her? She says: “Jehovah made sure that I felt loved. He surrounded me with friends who spent time with me, brought me meals, sent thoughtful messages and scriptures, smiled at me, and kept reminding me that Jehovah was caring for me. I constantly thank Jehovah for giving me a big loving family.”

17. Why did David “fear no harm”?

¹⁷ “I fear no harm, for you are with me.” David’s life was often in danger, and he had many powerful enemies. However, Jehovah’s love made him feel safe and protected. David could feel that Jehovah was with him in every situation, and that reassured him. Thus, he could sing: “[Jehovah] rescued me from all my fears.” (Ps. 34:4) David’s fears were real, but Jehovah’s love was stronger than his fears.

18. How may the assurance of Jehovah’s love strengthen you when you are afraid?

¹⁸ How does the assurance of Jehovah’s love strengthen us when we face frightening situations? A pioneer named Susi describes how she and her husband felt when their son took his own life: “Sudden tragedy is traumatic and can leave one feeling vulnerable and helpless. But Jehovah’s tender affection has made us feel safe and protected.” Rachel, mentioned earlier, recalls: “One night when my heart ached terribly and I was very worried and scared, I groaned out loud to Jehovah. Right then I felt that he soothed my heart and calmed me down, as a mother does for her baby, and I fell asleep. I will never forget that moment.” An elder named Tasos spent four years in prison for refusing to join the army. How did he experience Jehovah’s love and care? He says: “Jehovah took care of all my needs and more. This strengthened my confidence that I can fully trust in him. Also, through his spirit, Jehovah gave me joy despite being in a depressing environment. This assured me that the closer I work with him, the more I will benefit from his goodness. So I began serving him as a regular pioneer while in prison.”

DRAW CLOSE TO YOUR TENDER GOD

19. (a) How can knowing that God loves us affect what we say in our prayers? (b) Which description of Jehovah’s love touches you personally? (See the box “Words That Help Us Feel Jehovah’s Warm Love.”)

¹⁹ The experiences that we have discussed all prove that Jehovah, “the God of love,” is with us! (2 Cor. 13:11) He is interested in us personally. We are convinced that we are “surrounded by His loyal love.” (Ps. 32:10) The more we meditate on how he has shown us his love, the more real he becomes and the closer we feel to him. We can approach him freely and tell him how much we need his love. We can share all our worries with him, confident that he understands and that he is eager to help us.​—Ps. 145:18, 19.

20. How does Jehovah’s love draw us closer to him?

²⁰ Just as we are drawn to a warm fire on a cold day, we are drawn to Jehovah’s warm love. Although Jehovah’s love is powerful, it is also tender. So welcome Jehovah’s warm love in your life. And may we all respond to his love by exclaiming: “I love Jehovah”!​—Ps. 116:1.