Soften our hearts to believe and harden our wills to obey

UV 366/10,000 Let us harden our wills and soften our hearts Ezekiel 3 v 9 Eze 3:9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house The word “ adamant” comes from the first man “ Adam”. We should not harden our hearts to disbelieve God’s Word like Adam did though each of us has an intrinsic and congenital tendency to do so. We must soften our hearts to hear, believe and receive the Word. In fact, the prophet Ezekiel was asked to eat the Word as one would eat a bread roll, to take it into the belly and the inner parts. It tasted like honey in the mouth and gave life and hope and meaning to the inner parts. When we believe the Word, the Lord turns our forehead into an arrowhead harder than flint. Adamant is an unbreakable stone, like a diamond. It is a symbol that the man of faith is unconquerable. We will be unshakable in our purpose and determination. We are to be single-minded in our pursuit of that purpose. Our heart should not be divided by doubt or fear. If a particular thing needs to be done, we should get it done. Jesus set His face like flint as He set out on His last journey towards Jerusalem before the trial and crucifixion. Every day in my diary, I write against all the things that need to done “ cid” or consider it done and get down to doing it. Though we face opposition, resistance and persecution, we need not be discouraged or fearful. We belong to the obedient house of God while those who oppose us belong to the rebellious house. Their adamantine hearts are up against our focused and determined minds and wills. They are like the glass that though they look tough can be cut with ease with a diamond cutter. The Word of God will be like swift cavalry ahead of us and a protective wall of a phalanx around us as we advance into battle or on the paths the Lord has lead us into. We must take heart that we are not alone but we have a Commander in chief who is not mortal or fallible or vulnerable unlike the supposedly invincible Alexander the Great who was defeated by drink and death. Prateep V Philip