God always does what He desires.

Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. And He can choose to show mercy at any time upon whom He has hardened. Consider the author of Romans, Saul of Tarsus who was so hardened that He persecuted Jesus and His followers. This same Saul became the great apostle Paul. So we cannot conclude that because God chooses whom He is merciful and whom He hardens that if someone is hard of heart that they are hopeless. Paul wrote to the Galatians that he had persecuted the church of God and wanted to destroy it. He was hard! Galatians 1:15-16 “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me,” everything changed. There is always hope for the hardest of hearts because God’s love isn’t based on them, but on His mercy. He has mercy and hardens based upon what He desires to do in any and all of His creatures. As we love people today and watch them respond, we are watching at that moment what God’s desire is for them. Our job is to love with Jesus, and it is God’s job to work in their hearts. This gives us confidence to be bold in our love for them and in proclaiming Christ. Thank you, Father, for this encouragement today from Your word. We trust in You to do what pleases You in those you send our way. Fill us with Your love for Your glory as You work to magnify Your name. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com