February 3, 2025 -Hard Hearted

EXODUS 7:14-9:35

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Exodus 8:19 “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

This made me think of someone I used to work with. He is a doctor who I thought may have hardened his heart. I hope I am wrong and that in God's timing he has come to trust in Jesus. One of the nurses I worked with was a very aggressive witness for Christ. They spent hours talking about Jesus. He read books that she shared with him and watched videos. We had conversations together many times. He was very open to conversation, and very receptive which made him knowledgeable enough, that if you initiated a conversation with him about Christianity he could hold his own. In fact he could even teach others what it means to be a Christian from an intellectual perspective. He understood the entire gospel message but he just couldn't bring himself to put his trust in Jesus. I know that it is not us who bring ourselves to trust in Jesus but only the prompting of the Holy Spirt. But, I have wondered if he really had, and just wasn't telling us so he could continue to make us a little crazy. I remember thinking of him in the past when reading in Romans about God hardening Pharaoh's heart. I think that only a hardened heart could know and understand as much as he does and not believe. After all isn't that what a heart is until softened by the Spirit of God. I prayed that God was not hardening his heart. I haven't seen him in 10 years and I am prayerful that it just wasn't God's timing before. I believe that God is sovereign, and He has predestined every person who will enter the kingdom of God and pray that Dr B will be there. And I would really like it if God would give me opportunity on this earth to know that he has become my brother in Christ that I might celebrate with him here. But if that doesn't happen the second I find out that he's there I will shout for joy and cartwheel down the streets of gold that God did not harden his heart for eternity just for the time being.