2 Kings 22:19 (NIV) Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.

God is all about transparency and about being real. God is all about the heart. Whatever we do for the Lord without our heart being involved, God doesn’t receive. The major problem that the Lord has had with us as a people is that we have stubborn and unresponsive hearts. All the things that the Lord has done to make it possible for us to enjoy the blessing of being in His presence have, for the most part, been met by unresponsive hearts. Our hearts are that way because of our fallen nature. The Word of God says that His eyes search the earth looking for a responsive heart (2 Chronicles 16:9).

God is moved by heartfelt communication with Him, heartfelt love for Him and heartfelt repentance. When we approach him at a heart level, we gain His attention. When we admit our mistakes and respond to His love and His Word, it moves Him. There have been scoundrels such as King Ahab, who the Bible describes as doing more evil than all the kings before him, who the Lord forgave when he repented and humbled himself. In the case of the passage of scripture above, the Book of the Law had been found in the Temple. The Temple had been desecrated by the kings preceding King Josiah. They not only had neglected the Temple but had also set up articles that had been made for Baal and Asherah and even had installed an Asherah pole in it. Judgement was about to come. After Josiah read the Book of the Law for himself, he tore his robes and repented before the Lord on his behalf and on behalf of the people because he realized that they had sinned greatly against Him. Because his heart responded in this way, God withheld His judgement against Judah until after King Josiah’s reign.

God loves when people are wholehearted towards Him and He loves when our hearts are responsive to His Word. If God responds positively when we repent of our wrongdoing, how much more do you think that He will He respond when our hearts are in line with His will and plan? It is a blessed life that is waiting for all who have responsive hearts towards our Lord, our Savior and our God. When dealing with God and the things of God, let your heart be responsive to His love and to His Word. The result will be that God’s favor will rest on you.

Pastor Joey Vazquez