I have noticed that I need to be very diligent to keep my heart soft…tender…sensitive. Often, when the father-of-lies shares his oppressing lies with me, I fall into the temptation to harden my heart.  I do this to protect my heart from injury. I rely on bitterness to shield my heart from more harm. I count on depression to cover me like a blanket. I lean on vows to keep me away from danger. However, as soon as my heart starts hardening, God’s Voice of Truth, Hope, and Love becomes too soft to hear, and my heart becomes filled with destruction.

THE MAGICIANS SAID TO PHARAOH, ‘THIS IS THE FINGER OF GOD.’ BUT PHARAOH’S HEART WAS HARD AND HE WOULD NOT LISTEN, JUST AS THE LORD HAD SAID
(Exodus 8:19).

Know that it is the father-of-lies’ goal to harden your heart with his negative, destructive beliefs of abandonment, shame, condemnation, and rejection.  A hardened heart is filled with resentment.  It is infused with hatred.  It is injected with pride. It refuses to forgive. But, a hardened heart does not serve God. It does not walk in the Truth. Instead, it is filled with Self-Defense.

TEACH ME YOUR WAY, O LORD, AND I WILL WALK IN YOUR TRUTH; GIVE ME AN UNDIVIDED HEART, THAT I MAY FEAR YOUR NAME
(Psalm 86:11).

I bless you to keep your heart soft…open…receptive.  Do not allow the lies from the father-of-lies to grow a hard defense in your heart.  This defense is counterfeit.  It does not shield you from injury and destruction. Instead, it only serves as a barrier to block God’s Love, Hope, and Truth from your heart, while it destroys you from the inside-out.

Understand that it is God’s Love, Hope, and Truth that provide the real covering for your heart, in order to protect it from injury and destruction. God’s Love fills you with Joy. God’s Hope fills you with Strength. God’s Truth fills you with Wisdom. Do not harden your heart against Him.

I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT IN YOU; I WILL REMOVE FROM YOU YOUR HEART OF STONE AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH
(Ezekiel 36:26).

Do you have a hardened, defensive heart? Against what are you protecting it? Why?

Are you willing to trade the negative, destructive beliefs that have caused your heart to harden for a soft heart, so you may hear God’s Voice of Truth, Hope, and Love?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I submit to You the Self-defense I have built around my heart, in order to protect it. Remove this hard defense in my heart, Lord, and cover my heart with Your Defense of Love, Hope, and Truth, so I may live and be happy.