Daily Journal: 10 November

Hard Hearts

People aren’t born with hard hearts. We develop hard hearts through the way we respond to situations and experiences. It isn’t our experiences that make us hard, it’s the way we choose to respond.

Whether we learn from experiences, whether we self-reflect, whether we remain sensitive yet grow in strength and wisdom, whether we choose to walk in the way of love and forgiveness, or choose to walk in the way of hate and malice – these things develop our hearts.

Matthew 13:15

(CEV) All of them have stubborn minds! They refuse to listen; they cover their eyes. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them."

(NIV) For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

It’s not that people are unable to hear or see things that God wants to show us. It’s that we are unwilling to see or hear. We let our stubborn minds and calloused hearts lead instead of receiving what God is wanting to show us.

To prevent hard hearts, we need to carry contrite hearts. Softened hearts that are willing to remain soft; minds that are willing to accept grace and understanding, even when it is contrary to our own nature.

We can see when other people’s hearts are hard. We experience the result of it. We must not allow their hardness to influence us. All we can do is pray that their hearts will be softened and they would be able to see.

Ezekiel 36:26-28 (NIV)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 

God will only take the initiative when we’re willing. Then He will act.

The New Century Version translates Ezekiel 36:26-28 in a way that more explicitly describes what a heart of flesh looks like; one that is willing and able to hear and see God and His ways, and follow.

(NCV) Also, I will teach you to respect me completely, and I will put a new way of thinking inside you. I will take out the stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you obedient hearts of flesh. I will put my Spirit inside you and help you live by my rules and carefully obey my laws. You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.

There is reward in acknowledging God for who He is. And there is great loss for those who don’t.

Psalm 100:3 (NLT)

Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.