Iron gate

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Psalm 78:8

In my travels I have come across iron gates. While reflecting on this type of gate I thought of it being strong and hard to penetrate. Sometimes we put up an iron gate around our heart, nothing is going to enter, it is stubborn and unchangeable it is our way or the highway. Most of the time we have our heart set on something, whether right or wrong, and no matter what Someone says we will not listen.

There are many Bible characters who display this type of heart gate, stubborn, obstinate and know better than anyone. A name that comes quickly to mind is King Saul. He was the first king of Israel. In the beginning of his reign he was quiet and obedient to the Lord. The Bible tells us he was a goodly person, there were no others like him (I Samuel 9:2) as you continue to read about Saul in the early chapters of I Samuel he appears humble and desires to seek God’s will.

The more you read the more you realize Saul wanted to do things his way. He did not care about God’s law but about himself. He was impatient and wanted results NOW, he could not be bothered to wait for the priest to offer the sacrifice, and he offered it himself (I Samuel 13:8-14). God told him to destroy everything in Amalek, but again Saul thought he knew better than God. (I Samuel 15:2-9) Each act of disobedience brought him further and further away from God. The iron gate around his stubborn heart was unbendable and unyielding which lead to the loss of his kingdom.

The prodigal son (Luke 15) is another example of an iron heart gate. He wanted his own way. He did not want to wait to inherit his share of the estate. He wanted it NOW. His father freely gave him what he requested. Without a care in the world the son took off to parts unknown to enjoy his riches. Forgetting everything he learned, he foolishly wasted each and every cent. The iron gate around his heart was slowly yielding. He remembered His Father and His Father’s love and traveled back home. Once home he found his loving Father with arms outstretched to embrace his wayward son. His stubborn, obstinate heart started to shed the “ iron” gate.

I know there have been many times, too many to count, where I allowed the iron gate to surround my heart. Thankfully I allowed the Lord to break down the iron gate. How is your heart? Are you stubborn or unyielding in a certain situation. Ask the Lord for guidance and direction through His word.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10:12