HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART
- Olufunmilayo Adekusibe
- Jun 3, 2024
- 3 min read
Today’s Reading:
Psalm 95:1-11 KJV
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God, And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, As in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest.
(Psalm 95:1-11 KJV)
The above scripture starts with a call to God's people to come and make a joyful noise and rejoice before our God.
Why?
· He is a great God
· He is King above all gods
· In His Hands are the deep places of the earth.
· He made the hill the sea and formed the dry land.
Daily worship of God and praise to His Holy name is something that should come naturally to every child of God without being coerced or compelled. It should flow naturally. The 2nd section of the Scripture talks about the danger of hardening the heart. The psalmist recalled how the fathers hardened their hearts to God's instructions and were made to wander the desert for 40 years until they were all consumed. Sometimes we read these accounts in the Bible and not meditate on them. In this generation, people are still hardening their hearts to the word of God. There are now several avenues for listening to the word of God, yet a lot of people harden their hearts.
I recall several years ago I went out on evangelism in a marketplace, a man I approached told me that he didn't have time for God and that he wanted to make money. A lot of Christians have become too familiar with God, and as such are not open to correction as regards the word of God. They will always tell you that they are under grace. Romans 6 verses 1-2, Apostle Paul asks the question shall we continue in sin that grace may abound. He answered the question himself by saying God forbid!
Do not harden your heart to God's instruction regarding things like:
Telling lies
Lukewarmness in your Christian life
Malice
Pride
Lust
Pornography
Prayerlessness.
Just as God was displeased with the generation of the Israelites in the wilderness, He is also displeased with disobedience in this dispensation of grace. Grace is not an excuse for all kinds of unacceptable behaviour in the house of God. You need to do an inward search today to find out any area of your life where you are stubbornly not heartening to the word of God.
VICTOR ABASSAH
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “ Father, I acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness, in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart and lead me in Your path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord”.
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! Prayerfully look for a living church and report to the resident reverend, pastor or priest
Prayers:
Father, I come before You asking for forgiveness for the sin of hardening my heart
Lord remove from me the heart of stone and give me the heart of flesh in the name of Jesus
I bind and cast out of my life every spirit of rebellion in the name of Jesus
My Father, circumcise my heart in the name of Jesus
Lord revive Your church in this nation in the name of Jesus
Lord let Your healing power overshadow this nation in the name of Jesus.
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