It’s easy to harden our hearts; but not so easy to soften.
To soften our hearts, we must make an effort to yield to the Lord in His truth of scripture and Holy Spirit conviction. Personally, I have found that softening my heart often takes a rending, like a garment. This is why, in the Old Testament image of fasting, it often takes the form of tearing the garment and sitting in sackcloth and ashes. I am not recommending this. But as an illustration, to demonstrate our need for God, the outward man would humble himself in hopes of the heart being touched. God is looking at the hearts but it’s hard for us at time to find it when it has hardened. Here are two scriptures that illustrate this concept.
“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him—a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord? Joel 2:12-14
“But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel; “Concerning the words which you have heard— because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord. 2 Chronicles 34:26, 27
Let us agree with the Word of God concerning His working among His people. Let’s own our stuff. Let’s tremble at His Word, rend our hearts, humble ourselves before Him, and receive Jesus as our only means of help for today, in anything and everything.
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build for Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:1, 2
