A Tender Heart

2 Chronicles 34:27

Having a tender heart is suitable for all occasions, in every possible way. Then everything that is good and godly succeeds. Then your prayer is heard; then you will get what you are seeking. Then you acknowledge truths instead of explaining them away! Then you will be profoundly apprehended of God’s Word and commandments instead of remaining unaffected or being uninfluenced by them.

Most hearts are considerably harder than people usually reckon with, including ourselves, which is precisely why people can sleep for years—even an entire lifetime—instead of radically waking up to the fact that they are actually nowhere near keeping God’s simple and very clear words!!! God’s words bounce off such hard, armored hearts. They are not at all aware of the fact that they continually transgress the especially clear words and commandments of the new covenant! Josiah’s heart was also hard. But the Lord be highly praised! It became tender! He profoundly and thoroughly acknowledged the naked truth of all his wretchedness. And as if by magic, he attacked all that wretchedness with zeal born of desperation! Even with exceptional zeal! This is also what will happen to you when you are radically converted from all your disobedience to the many scriptures in the new covenant. Wake up in earnest and sin no more!

Elias Aslaksen