Worship music filled the space all around me. My best friend and I were only two rows back from our favorite worship band as they sang:
“I heard about a river, everything it touches comes alive… Everything He touches comes alive.”
Something began to stir in me. For a moment, I forgot anyone else was in the room. It was just Jesus and me.
When Worship Reveals the Condition of Our Hearts
Suddenly, I got a flash of the younger me—the passionate one, the fiery one.
“Jesus, where did she go?” I asked.
And I heard Him whisper back, “I’ll make your heart beat again.”
I hadn’t realized part of my heart had stopped beating—or that hope had quietly slipped away. Tears came before I could stop them, my shoulders shaking under the weight of discouragement that suddenly felt fully seen by God.
Spiritual Discouragement Can Quietly Harden Our Hearts
The year and a half before that moment had been full of heart-sinking disappointment. I had left my full-time job to pursue the ministry I had spent seven years building. I believed stepping out in faith would open doors.
Instead, it felt like every door closed.
Nothing made sense—at least not to my heart.
God Often Uses Community to Speak Exactly What We Need
As worship ended, a woman standing beside me—someone I had exchanged smiles with throughout the night—placed her hand on my shoulder.
She hugged me gently and said,
“I feel like God wants you to know you are not alone.”
She had no way of knowing the wrestling match happening inside me. Yet she spoke the exact words I had written in my journal that very morning.
Hebrews Shows Us How to Guard Our Hearts
Hebrews 3:7–13 came to mind—a passage that offers both a warning and a solution.
The writer reflects on the Israelites in the wilderness who allowed their hearts to harden when life didn’t go as hoped. Haven’t we all been there?
Thankfully, verses 12 and 13 give us clear guidance on how to keep our hearts tender and responsive to God:
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“Search your hearts every day…”
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“Continually encourage one another every day.”
This echoes Proverbs 4:23:
“Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being.”
How to Keep Your Heart Tender Toward God
Scripture makes it simple—though not always easy.
If we want to remain responsive to God:
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We must tend to our hearts daily
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We must stay connected to people who speak life and truth
Worship revealed the state of my heart. Community reminded me that I was seen and not alone.
That combination gave me the courage to keep hoping—expectantly—for the doors God had yet to open.
A Gentle Question for Reflection
How might you become more intentional this season about:
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tending to your heart each day?
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staying connected to people who speak life when discouragement creeps in?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for allowing life’s circumstances to drain my hope. Thank You for reminding me that I am not alone. Your voice is living water to my soul. Even when hope feels lost, You are able to make my heart beat again. Amen.