Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 28:22; Psalms 37:4
We all know people who repent as a result of facing difficult circumstances. Others can face a similar challenge and they resist rather than repent. The same sun that melts butter hardens clay. It all depends on the substance. One minister said, “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.”
Hezekiah’s father Ahaz had so filled his heart with idolatry that when trouble came, he became even more unfaithful to the Lord. The harder the heart, the harder it is to repent.
Consider the Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled during the time of Moses. He intentionally resisted the Lord as Moses pronounced plagues on Egypt. Pharaoh was given ten opportunities to respond and release the Israelites from bondage. Instead, he toughened his resolve to keep God’s people as slaves. That didn’t turn out well for either Pharaoh or the Egyptians, did it?
Sometimes the Lord looks at the direction toward which we set our heart and He gives us what we want. How much better it would be if we let Him place His desires in our heart. We could never go wrong.
- Have you ever hardened your heart toward the Lord? How did that work for you? How can you let God place His desires in your heart?