August 8
Jeremiah 8:4-11:23
Every baseball season I had to re-earn my calluses. As I swung the bat thousands of times, the skin on my palms would slowly toughen. That is great for sports but terrible when our hearts become callused. When we no longer feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment, then something is very wrong. Three times Jeremiah speaks of Judah reaching this condition and being unable to blush. They have moved so far from God they cannot sense their behavior is wrong or feel shame. Shame can be a gift from God because like the dashboard in our car, it can help us to diagnose something is wrong in our lives (though like a dashboard it can also be a faulty indicator!).
This is very similar to the language we will find in Romans 1. Individuals and societies reach a point where they "neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21). Instead of hardening our hearts, we need a continual softening and moving towards God and a sensitivity toward his work and conviction in our lives. Let us continually open our hearts to him and allow him to expose all of the sin that is there.
Father God, help me to see sin for the great evil it is. Keep my heart aware of your Spirit's work and my conscience sensitive to the conviction you bring. Amen.
What can you do to keep a soft heart towards God?
Every baseball season I had to re-earn my calluses. As I swung the bat thousands of times, the skin on my palms would slowly toughen. That is great for sports but terrible when our hearts become callused. When we no longer feel guilt, shame, or embarrassment, then something is very wrong. Three times Jeremiah speaks of Judah reaching this condition and being unable to blush. They have moved so far from God they cannot sense their behavior is wrong or feel shame. Shame can be a gift from God because like the dashboard in our car, it can help us to diagnose something is wrong in our lives (though like a dashboard it can also be a faulty indicator!).
This is very similar to the language we will find in Romans 1. Individuals and societies reach a point where they "neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:21). Instead of hardening our hearts, we need a continual softening and moving towards God and a sensitivity toward his work and conviction in our lives. Let us continually open our hearts to him and allow him to expose all of the sin that is there.
Father God, help me to see sin for the great evil it is. Keep my heart aware of your Spirit's work and my conscience sensitive to the conviction you bring. Amen.
What can you do to keep a soft heart towards God?
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