**Daily Devotional** **May 23** *39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. - John 12:39-40 (KJV)* This prophecy was by Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10), and was referring to Jesus dealing with the Jewish people. Even though God gave man a free will (Deuteronomy 30:19), He was not unjust in hardening the hearts of people who did not believe, and who had hardened their own hearts against the things of God. This should be a warning to us, that when we fall away from God and harden our hearts toward Him, He very well may harden our hearts to assure that we don’t repent. We need to stay in the Word of God (John 8:31) and keep our hearts and faith in the things of God, so that we won’t become a reprobate. This is describing a reprobate, who has refused to believe in Jesus as being the Son of God, and once you have hardened your heart toward God, then He will give you over to the devil. What you think on, and believe on, is what your heart will be sensitive to, and what you ignore your heart will become hardened to. Out of the heart comes the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23), so we must keep our hearts sensitive to the things of God, to keep it from becoming hardened toward Him. A hardened heart keeps you from understanding, and believing in the things of God (Mark 8:17), and will lead to your destruction, as the devil will take advantage of it, and he comes to destroy you (John 10:10). Praise God for the marvelous way that He designed us when He created us. Devotional by Pastor Joe W. Green, www.infinite-faith.com