Softening the Heart

Good morning! I hope you're staying in today. If you're going out, BE CAREFUL! I gave myself a 2 hour delay this morning, in honor of the horrible weather!

Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Tues, Jan. 27: What is Moses disappointed about at the end of Exodus 5?
Exodus 5:22-23 22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

And here's the question of the day:
Weds, Jan. 28: What does the fool say in his heart? (Ps 14)


And here's the reflection of the day:
I've read this story about Moses/Aaron (they seem to function as one person!) and Pharaoh before, and I've always wondered about the hardness of Pharaoh's heart. What did that mean? Did Pharaoh harden his own heart? Did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Did they each have a part to play? Why didn't God just soften Pharaoh's heart from the beginning and save Himself the trouble of all those plagues?

However you seek to answer those kinds of questions, there is no doubt that there are many hardened hearts in the world around us. Did God harden them for a reason? Do we harden our own hearts against God and others? I do a lot of praying that God would soften hearts. I do a lot of praying that God would repair the broken relationships in the community around me. Hearts do not become hardened overnight; hardened hearts are like callouses. They don't spring up overnight but as a result of repeated actions.

We all have relationships that are broken, wounds that have hardened our hearts. Perhaps the person who caused it is no longer in our lives, but still we insist on holding a grudge. Moses/ Aaaron and God are persistent in the face of Pharaoh's hardened heart. God is persistent in light of the hardness of all our hearts. How can we be more persistent in seeking reconciliation? How can we faithfully seek to repair broken relationships?

Happy pondering!
Allison