Tender

​Meditation
2 Kings 22:18-20--Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you—this is the Lord’s declaration—therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’”

A king heard the words of God and ripped his clothes (vs 11). He recognized that what God had spoken centuries earlier directly applied to his nation. He knew that his angry God would destroy them for their disobedience and rebellion. He wept before his Father, who saw and spared Josiah and his people because of his tender heart.
            
Tenderness may be one of the most underrated and least modeled traits by leaders. To be tender is often considered soft, wimpy, and weak. Few people in positions of authority want tender as an adjective to describe themselves. Yet gentle is a synonym for tender, and Jesus once taught, “The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). God, when He forgave Israel for her adultery, said, “Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness,and speak tenderly to her” (Hosea 2:14). Did you catch that? God is tender.
            
To be tender is to value caring. It means listening with an attitude of humility and desire to learn. It is a sign of strength to be tender because it requires vulnerability. It is an indicator of wisdom and maturity because it recognizes that truth is more important than agendas and that enduring power is achieved less by compulsion and more by compassion. 
            
Hard-hearted is the opposite of tender. Judah’s leaders, like King Manasseh, turned their backs on God and decided that a do-whatever-the-hell-we-like lifestyle was superior to upholding moral virtues and obeying God’s laws. They filled the streets with the blood of innocent people and shut their ears to the prophets’ warnings, often murdering them. They were intolerant of truth because it exposed their wicked hearts. They turned a beautiful nation into a cesspool of depravity. Ultimately, God destroyed them.
            
Tender, God-fearing leaders guide their followers toward greatness and blessing. History demonstrates this. Jesus exemplified it. “All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves” (Mat. 11:29). In a divided, restless nation, it’s something to think about . . . in reveration.
 
Inspiration
“Real strength is not just a condition of one’s muscle, but a tenderness in one’s spirit.”—McAllister Dodds
 
 
©2025 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)