The Lord Loves the Devotee in Return
Bhakti is not one-sided longing; Narada teaches that God is bound by the love of the devotee and reveals Himself to the loving heart.
Narada teaches that the Lord, though He has no needs, delights in the love of His devotees and reveals Himself to them (Narada Bhakti Sutra 27). The relationship of bhakti is mutual: as the river runs to the sea, so the devotee's love draws the divine response. The traditions are full of stories of God's preference for the loving heart over the learned mind — Krishna eating the simple offering of the devotee Vidura over the feast of the wealthy. This reciprocity assures the devotee that love is never wasted or unanswered, however unworthy one may feel. The glory of devotion is that it makes the infinite intimate. The lover discovers that the longing felt for God was itself God's longing, stirring within.
The Lord, who is without wants, becomes a servant of the love of His devotees.
The theme of mutual love between the soul and God, in which the seeking soul discovers it was first sought, finds a close parallel in the Sufi doctrine that the servant's love for God is preceded and caused by God's love for the servant.
Narada Bhakti Sutras