Undeserved Favor
Ezekiel 11:19-21 NKJV
Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 11:19 is a favorite Scripture for many in the Word of God.
It truly is a beautiful, amazing, comforting word.
To even think that even the hardest hearts could be made pliable. The coldest hearts can be warmed with the love of the Father.
Changing and conforming by the working Hand of God all by His Grace!
Softened and warmed by His Mercy!
If we truly listen to the voice of God we should be able to hear the reminders to soften our hearts, if we stay in constant communication with Him in prayer and reading and studying His Holy Word.
There are so many Scriptures that warn us to not harden our hearts.
Mark 8:17-18 NKJV
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
Even a Follower of Jesus Christ can become hardened hearted.
As we start the preparations for this Christmas season you will hear many sermons about Emmanuel. About how the Wise men followed the Great star and came from afar to bring the newborn King gifts. How there was no room at the inn and how our Mighty Savior would be born in a Manger.
But was the World ready to receive its King?
A hardened heart cannot be prepared to receive its King.
So in the next few posts we will let the Words of God start to soften them.
A hardened heart starts to soften in the moment of obedience.
As a young girl Mary would conceive this King.
Luke 1:30-33
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:30-33 NKJV
It was by the obedience of this young girl that would bring the greatest gift the world has ever known.
Are you familiar with the song, Mary did you know ?
It is such a beautiful song Written by Michael English.
“Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would someday walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy Would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy Has come to make you new? This child that you’ve delivered Will soon deliver you.”
One way to prepare our hearts to take the focus off of ourselves.
I understand this could be hard. There might be pains and struggles. There might be things that have latched into your heart that have caused,
Fear
Depression
Anxiety
Doubt
Worry
But if there is a time to reflect on even the smallest of gifts of God, it is today.
Imagine Mary as a young girl being visited by Gabriel the Archangel of God!
Who stands in the presence of God!
He has a message specifically for Mary that would change the destination of people’s souls.
A message of good tidings!
Luke 1:28 NKJV
And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
The King of glory sends His messenger personally to Mary.
Would this be exciting, yes.
Frightening, yes.
Doubtful, of course.
Luke 1:29 NKJV
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
She was troubled.
Consider her situation.
Betrothed, engaged,not married. What will they say!
How can the Father of all Creation choose this girl?
Luke 1:30-32 NKJV
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Undeserved favor starts with a heart that is willing to accept what the Lord has prepared.
It is giving ourselves away into service.
Total and complete service. Regardless of what we think and how we feel.
Sometimes we shelter ourselves from what the Lord has called us to do.
We allow the past painful experiences this world delivers to dictate how we trust and follow God.
Those pains will harden lives. Hardening shuts off the pathway to Holiness, Restoration, Salvation, Redemption.
Peace cannot coexist with chaos.
Assurance can’t exist with fear and doubt.
Mary had a choice.
To trust and be obedient to the message of the Lord, or to be persuaded by what man would say.
Today is the day of Salvation.
A cold heart to God or anything else in His Creation can separate us from the love He is waiting to share.
Today is the day of Deliverance from all the pain and rejection. Today is a start to soften the rough hard edges!
Today your Redemption can start and a new way of thinking, a new way of living.
God gave us the greatest gift of all, Love, Hope, Salvation, and Mercy, through Jesus, out of love. A pure unconditional love. Love that we don’t deserve. A Love that lives on and never dies. Not only does He give us this Love but tells us to do the same.
Prepare your heart to relieve the hardness and receive the Goodness of His Love.
It warms the coldest slab, if you let HIM!
This Love would come through the obedience of a troubled heart.
It all starts with a young girl that is willing to accept what the Lord has prepared.
Think about this today.
When we can accept what the Lord has prepared for us He starts to transform us.
He prepares our hearts. He molds and shapes them to make it useful again to be use for His Kingdom.
“Mary did you know “.
I’m sure she didn’t.
But she had just enough faith to believe that even in her troubled heart God would do something amazing through her.
Let God do something amazing through you today.
Allow the power of God’s perfect Love open the chamber of the hardened cell of
Hearts!
Then see what He can do through you.
Remember this today,
Undeserved favor starts with a heart that is willing to accept what the Lord has prepared.
Pastor Ed