“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.’”
– Matthew 13:3,4
I touched on this subject last month, but today, I want to look at how hard hearts develop. Many of us are familiar with the parable of the sower, which is the story Jesus told of the farmer who went out to scatter seed; some of it fell on the road, some on rocky soil, some on thorny soil, and some on good soil. The thing that most fascinates me is the seed that fell on the road. Unlike our paved highways today, a road in Jesus’ day would have been simply a dirt-packed trail that had been trodden so frequently it had become impacted, hard, and nothing could grow there. When the seed fell, it simply bounced and sat until the birds came and ate it up. Like that road, we develop a hard heart because we get walked on, pressured, pushed down, and stressed out; we experience betrayal, our hearts are broken, and we finally reach a breaking point. Instead of continually feeling pain, we decide that we won’t allow ourselves to be hurt any longer. So, we become tough, strong, respectable, and admirable, but completely untouchable on the inside. That’s the essence of a hard heart. Friend, if your heart is hard today, I want you to know that the Lord hasn’t forgotten you. Your Heavenly Father knows the hurt you’ve endured, and He has compassion for you. He alone can soften a heart that has been hardened and trampled over time! If you allow Him in, He will pour life into your soul and make your spirit receptive to His love once again. Isn’t that wonderful news? |
Prayer
Jesus, I believe that you alone can soften my heart. Come penetrate the walls I have built in my brokenness and replace them with your love.
Reflection
Are there parts of your heart that are hard? Will you give your hurt to Jesus today?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
Hello Pastor Bobby, I can always count on you to speak good things from the Lord over me! God Bless you as you continue spreading the Truth of the Gospel to me and to a lost and dying world!! Blessings R Ken Howell