Hard Heart
When I think of the heart, I can’t help but think of the muscle that pushes blood throughout my body. The heart also refers to the emotional center of a person, especially love and compassion. When a person is referred to as “hard-hearted”, it usually means that they lack compassion and love for their friends, neighbors or simply fellow mankind. I’ve had callouses on my hands from working with my hands and I’ve had callouses on my fingers. Callouses hard-hardened skin in an area that used a lot due to friction. Paul refers to callouses on the heart. We must stay tuned in to His direction for us and His will for our lives.
Paul is now in Rome where he is allowed to stay by himself with a Roman guard nearby. He invites the local Jewish leaders to his home and shares the particulars about his journey. The local leaders are interested in hearing more of Paul’s message and they set up a special time when Paul can really lay it out for all to hear about. After they had listened some were convinced that Jesus was the way, while others were not convinced. Check this out…
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 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.’ 28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! (Acts 28:24-31 NIV)This passage reminds me to take inventory of my own heart. I must look inside and make sure that callouses haven’t formed on my heart making me hard-hearted to others or to God’s call upon my heart.
The Lord wants my heart to stay moldable and shapeable by His Spirit. He wants to develop my hearing from the Spirit as well as with my ears. I want God to continue to shape my heart to be like His. In order for me to do that, I must keep the callouses away.
Pressing On! Dwayne