If considering God’s emotions feels foreign to you, you may want to engage in an exercise that may help bring you closer to feeling what God feels. First, consider your feelings when you encounter

this passage: 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. (ZEPHANIAH 3:17)

Take a few moments in a quiet and comfortable place, free of distraction, and simply imagine, the best that you can, being in God’s presence while he is feeling delighted to be with you, while he is quieting you and rejoicing in your presence. Imagine God singing about you. Until I wrote that sentence, I don’t think I’d ever actually thought of God singing. Is he a baritone, a tenor, a soprano, an alto, or perhaps some blended combination of vocal beauty that is impossible to describe? The point is, he’s performing the opera in your honor because he takes so much pleasure in you.

Still don’t have the picture? Think of U2 holding a concert just for you. In your honor. But now imagine that instead of Bono, it’s God. Too cool. We often consider how we should feel when in God’s presence. But have you ever imagined how he feels in yours? Do you feel Jesus feeling delight, joy, and peace? If not, what do you feel him feeling instead? What do you imagine he looks like? How does he sound? What does he say? What is the tone of his voice? And then, what do you feel yourself feeling as you respond to these initiatives of God?

Thompson M.D., Curt. Anatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices That Can Transform Your Life and Relationships (p. 107). Tyndale Refresh. Kindle Edition.