How can we ensure our hearts remain tender to God's voice like Josiah's? A Tender Heart Delights God’s Ear “Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words … I have heard you, declares the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 34:27) Josiah’s softness toward God wasn’t accidental. It grew out of choices anyone can make. Start With Genuine Humility • A yielded spirit attracts God’s attention (Isaiah 66:2). • Humility admits, “God is right; I am wrong,” and runs to Him, not from Him (James 4:6). • Daily confession keeps the soil of the heart soft (Psalm 51:17). Stay Grounded in God’s Word • Scripture is “God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). • Read it, meditate on it, and let it read you (Psalm 119:11). • Josiah tore his clothes when he heard the Law—truth pierced him because he listened attentively. Cultivate Quick Obedience • Josiah didn’t delay; he cleared the land of idols immediately (2 Chronicles 34:33). • Obedience reinforces tenderness—every “yes” to God keeps the heart pliable (John 14:21). • Small steps count: apologize quickly, act on conviction, practice generosity. Guard the Heart Daily • “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). • Monitor input—music, media, conversations. • Replace bitterness with forgiveness (Ephesians 4:31-32). • End each day with a brief heart check: What softened me toward God? What hardened me? Surround Yourself With God-Honoring Influences • Josiah had Hilkiah the priest and Huldah the prophetess speaking truth. • Choose friends who stir up love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). • Participate in corporate worship where God’s Word is central. • Invite accountability; a gentle rebuke can rescue a wandering heart (Galatians 6:1). Rely on the Spirit’s Softening Work • God promises, “I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). • Walk by the Spirit so the flesh doesn’t dominate (Galatians 5:16). • Trust that “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Keep Remembering the Gospel • The cross reminds us how far God went to reach us (Romans 5:8). • Gratitude for grace melts resistance and fosters tenderness (Colossians 3:15). • Preach the gospel to yourself: forgiven people forgive, loved people love, softened hearts stay sensitive to God’s whisper. Consistent humility, Scripture saturation, prompt obedience, diligent guarding, godly relationships, dependence on the Spirit, and gospel remembrance—all cultivate hearts that stay as tender as Josiah’s, ready to hear and eager to respond when God speaks. |
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