A Tender Heart That Listens
A soft heart that welcomes the word, and the warmth that follows
Devotional Credit, Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit, Unsplash
When the Scriptures that had been shelved were opened in Josiah’s day, the king did not argue with them, he let them read him. He tore his clothes, not to perform, but because his heart was soft before the Lord. Bob Hoekstra highlights this simple posture. When God speaks, a tender heart welcomes the word, and grace follows.
The passage reminds us that humility is not groveling. It is honesty in the light of Jesus. Josiah heard hard words, yet he bowed rather than braced. He did not fix himself. He turned toward the God who speaks and saves. That turning became the doorway for mercy in a nation that had drifted.
We have all known seasons when the Bible exposes what our habits have trained us to ignore. The instinct is to defend ourselves, to minimize, or to try harder with fresh resolve. Josiah shows a better way. Receive the word with meekness. Let the Lord say what is true. Let His grace do what our effort never can.
I am grateful for how Hoekstra puts our attention on the heart. A soft heart toward the word is not weakness. It is readiness for Jesus to express His life in us. Where the heart yields, the Lord pours out peace, clarity, and courage. That is how real change takes root, not from pressure, but from the presence of the Living One within.
Journal Entry, Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am near to the brokenhearted and I dwell with the one who is contrite and lowly. I give grace to the humble. When you hear My word, do not harden your heart. Let My voice soften what fear has made rigid. I take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I work in you to will and to work for My good pleasure.
You are united with Jesus. You have been crucified with Him, and the life you now live is Mine expressed in you. Reckon yourself alive to God in Him. Present your members to Me as instruments of righteousness. Abide in Me. Apart from Me you can do nothing, yet as you remain in Me, My life bears fruit through you.
Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you. Receive the implanted word with meekness. Under My mighty hand, you will find that humility is not shrinking back, it is trusting forward. I am at work within you. Yield to Me in the ordinary moment, and you will see patience where irritation once ruled, honesty where pretense hid, and peace where anxiety used to speak first.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of adjusting a home thermostat on a cold morning. You do not heat the house by shivering harder. You respond to what the thermostat reveals and you turn toward the source that actually warms the rooms. In the same way, when Scripture exposes a cold spot in your attitude or decisions, you do not white knuckle your way to warmth. You turn to the indwelling Spirit of Jesus who brings the temperature of your soul into alignment with Him.
Try this in a concrete way. Suppose a sharp word slips out during a busy morning. Instead of piling on self condemnation or drafting a checklist to do better, pause your scramble and say, Lord, I entrust this moment to You, express Your kindness in me as I walk back and make things right. Then step back into the room and speak with the simplicity and honesty that He supplies.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I am not left to fix myself. Your word searches me with love, and Your Spirit lives in me with all I need for life and godliness. I receive Your correction as a gift, not as a verdict of doom. Thank You for the soft heart You have given, the grace You pour out to the humble, and the life of Your Son formed in me. I rest in Your faithful work today, and I welcome Your word to dwell richly in me, bearing fruit that looks like Jesus.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2; James 4:6; Hebrews 3:7-8; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Philippians 2:13; Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:11-13; John 15:4-5; Colossians 3:16; James 1:21; 1 Peter 5:6; 2 Peter 1:3