He who Protects and Plays !

True divine living can be seen as two distinct paths.

In the first category, the spiritual aspirant lives a divine, spiritual life with one clear goal and purpose – liberation. Purposes like purity of mind, spiritual elevation, lasting peace, to be Self-realized, or to be more dispassionate towards the world – all these are lofty aims.
People who lead a spiritual lives with this goal of self elevation are still doing devotion with some personal consideration, which is certainly loftier than doing bhakti for worldly things like name, fame, wealth, or health.
Then there is a second category within the general path of devotion. Here, some true devotees tread the path of bhakti solely for the pleasure of Bhagavan. They do all activities of bhakti for the joy of Bhagavan (Bhagavath preeti), to be acceptable to Bhagavan (Bhagavath sammadham) and not towards any other personal goal, agenda, or considerations.
Bhagavan bestows grace upon both these types of devotees in accordance with their intent and purpose. While He hastens to protect the devotees in the first path, He goes behind the devotees of the second category and performs many a leela only with them, purely for the sake of sport only. The leelas of Bhagavan in the lives of saints like Sant Senanayi, Sant Janabai, or Sant Namadev were not just for their protection but for the sake of being with them, and ‘playing’ or performing leelas spontaneously with them.

Within devotees themselves, Bhagavan protects some and plays with some!