Open Heart Surgery

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

After the chaos of the Golden Calf and the breaking of the first tablets, God does something radical: He gives them a second chance. He writes the commandments again. But then He goes deeper. In Deuteronomy 10, Moses asks the big question: “What does the LORD your God ask of you?” The answer isn’t a list of religious hoops to jump through. It’s to fear Him, walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all your heart. Micah later reflects on this in his famous summation of life (Micah 6:8).

And then comes the kicker: “Circumcise your hearts.” This is edgy stuff. It’s not about the outward ritual; it’s about an internal cutting away of pride and stubbornness. It’s spiritual heart surgery. God isn’t looking for religious robots; He’s looking for people whose hearts have been softened by His greatness or broken by our own attempt to be great. He is the God of gods and Lord of lords, yet He cares for the orphan, the widow, and the foreigner. Do you care about them too? Or is it more important to berate those who you feel don’t? What are you personally, quietly doing about it, other than shouting at others?

In the grand arc of the Bible, this points directly to the New Covenant. We can’t circumcise our own hearts. We need the Holy Spirit to do that work. We need the grace that Psalm 49 hints at: the realization that no amount of wealth or status or rhetoric can “ransom the life of another.” Only God can redeem our souls from the realm of the dead.

The things the world values like money, fame, power, and influence, are all temporary. They can’t buy you a seat at the table. What God wants is you. All of you. Not your “church face,” but your actual heart. Are you willing to let Him perform the surgery?

Devotional Prompts:

What does it mean for you to “circumcise your heart” and no longer be stiff-necked before God?
How does the warning about the futility of wealth echo the call to fear the Lord alone?
How do you individually reflect God’s character by loving the foreigner and seeking justice for the orphan?
Are you trusting in “temporary ransoms” (money, reputation) or the eternal redemption found in Christ?

Prayer: Lord of Lords, take away my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh. Soften me to Your Word and open my eyes to the needs of the vulnerable around me, that I may serve You with sincerity and a soft voice. Amen.