A Tender Heart
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 (KJV)
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:31-33 (KJV)
God promised to give us a new heart by a new covenant- the covenant that Jesus cut Himself. God gave us a heart of flesh, speaking of a tender heart; a heart in which God writes His Word.
A tender heart comes from God as we are born-again and as we are Spirit-filled. A fresh feeding on His Word and filling of His Spirit daily makes us tender to feel God’s touch, hear His voice, and be led by His Spirit. Just like a fine steak, we become tender from God’s Spirit as He touches us. We encounter God’s presence as we marinate in His Word and presence. As we do, our hearts stay tender, motivating us to love and care for the things of God and for people.
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:…Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:8, 12-13 (KJV)
As we’re willing and obedient to God, our hearts will stay tender. However, if we live in persistent sin, our hearts become hardened and deceived.
A tender heart cries over the sins of humanity and cries out for God to save. A tender heart cares for others and tries to meet their needs. A tender-hearted person can get hurt easily by the wrongdoing of others, so it is important to guard our hearts. A tender heart loves God and people, and is quick to follow the Lord and forgive those who hurt them.
Keeping our hearts tender is important to walking with God. If our hearts become hardened, we must take action to reverse it.
Confess it. Confess our sin to God.
Dismiss it. Repent.
Possess it. Regain your tender heart.
Right choices help our hearts to stay tender. We must trust God to protect our hearts. If our hearts get hurt, crushed, bruised, or broken, we must go to God and let Him love all the hurt away. He’ll love us back to wholeness. A tender heart comes from God, and although our hearts are tender, He can protect them so we can take hard times and mistreatment without becoming hard-hearted. As we stay tender-hearted and pliable in God’s hands, He can shape us, make us, and use us for His glory.
