I’m standing here by the grace of God. I have seen the Lord’s mercy sustain me through close-to-death times that I have faced in my life. For our physical well-being, we do not neglect the condition of our physical heart. In much a similar manner, today, I would like us all to take a look at the spiritual condition of our hearts.
Mark recounts the happenings of a dark, stormy night when the disciples rowed their boat across the Sea of Galilee to go to the other side. What started as a routine 2 hour journey soon turned into a nightmare for them as the winds and storm did not allow the disciples to reach the other shore, though they rowed all evening. [Mark 6:45-52]
Then came Jesus- walking on the Sea towards them, fully in control of the elements that frightened the disciples no end. Imagine the surprise of the disciples as He talked with them and got into the boat. And Mark 6:51, 52 says: Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they {the disciples} were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, marvelled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
What is the relation between being greatly amazed beyond measure, and the hardened heart? But, Mark clearly distinguishes hardened heart with great amazement! The disciples had been witness to the great miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand with just five loaves and two fishes, and then gathering the remnants in twelve baskets; but they were not amazed as much as when Jesus got into the boat and the wind ceased!
What I am saying is this: the hardened heart relates more easily to the miracle in the natural realm than it does to a miracle in the super-natural realm. Now in your natural realm- you relate by your five senses of what you see, hear, feel, touch and smell. If you are amazed at changes in this natural realm more than those in the super-natural realm (of seeing by faith), then you may have a hardened heart!
When you pray, and are amazed at seeing the changes, you may have a hardened heart! Amazement in the natural realm can be a tell-tale sign of the hardened heart. You must expect a miracle all the time; when you pray, learn to pray in the super-natural realm. Expect God to show up in your situations all the time. And when you do see your answers you can rejoice in God and praise Him- but in no case be shocked or amazed!
Imagine Jesus lifting up His eyes to heaven, giving thanks, blessing the five loaves and two fishes and gave them to His disciples to set before 5000 men [Mark 6:41]; now do you think it shocked Jesus to see the loaves and fishes multiply? Definitely not! Do you think the disciples were amazed at the multiplication? Maybe yes-I do not know! But the heart of the matter is, if you understood multiplication in the hand of God, your heart is bound to be soft!
The dictionary describes ‘hardened’ as something- cold, unfeeling, unwilling and unyielding. We can go on hearing God’s word and reading God’s word, but if your heart is not willing to yield to His voice, you have a hardened heart.
Jesus brings up the issue of the hardened heart, again, after a few days to His disciples. Not many days after the ‘boat incident’, the disciples were again in the boat- this time along with Jesus.
Mark 8:13-21 narrates the incident: The disciples had forgotten to take bread along with them, and Jesus begins talking about the ‘leaven of the Pharisees’! And the disciples thought that they were in for trouble then because they had not brought bread!
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?” [Mark 8:17, 18]
Jesus lists out these qualities of the hardened heart:
- unable to perceive
- unable to understand
- unable to see
- unable to hear
- unable to remember
If you read further, Jesus did ask them this these questions: When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They said to Him, “Twelve.” Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up? And they said, “Seven.” [Mark 8:19, 20]
Isn’t it interesting? The disciples did remember the number of baskets, but they could not relate it to the spiritual. They were indeed filled with knowledge, but it had not profited them spiritually. They got all their arithmetics right, but got their attitudes wrong! I do know of situations where the Holy Spirit impresses some word into our hearts during the singing of His praises, or during worship, or during the sermon; but, going home you are unable to recollect what it was that God had spoken. Or God would have spoken to you during the night, and you are unable to recollect it in the morning; then beware, you may have a hardened heart!
Exodus is a good place to start if you want to delve into the details of a hardened heart. Fifteen times it is written that Pharaoh hardened his heart. It is also written that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart; but I believe God hardened his heart only after he hardened it himself. You see, you have the ability to harden your heart. God has given us the capacity to harden our hearts, if we so desire. That is why it is written, “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion …” (Psalm 95:8).
But, the way to get out of a hardened heart is to CONSIDER, ponder, study, meditate, examine, think continuously… on the things God has done for you in your life and in the lives of those around you. Another word that comes to my mind is FOCUS- focus on the things that are of the Spirit and differentiate them from that of the flesh.
It will profit us little, if we are only filled with head-knowledge of God and His word- but it will profit us much, spiritually, if we are able to walk in them. Experience walking with Him day by day and see you heart grow tender and yielding to His voice.
Eve hardened her heart to God’s word and was deceived by the serpent. Instead she could have, if she had wanted, chosen to harden her heart against the Serpent's prompting. Pharaoh hardened his heart against Moses.
Remember the way to a tender heart, starts by hearing the word of God- because faith comes by hearing. Faith grows by obedience. Faith is strengthened in trials. Faith is the victory that overcomes the natural world.
Moses instructs Joshua not to forsake the Law of the Lord but to meditate on it. David in his first psalm talks about the blessedness of those who meditates in the law of the Lord day and night! Our heart condition is of utmost importance- both physically and spiritually! For out of it flows the issues of life!
May God enable us to check our heart condition and may He teach us wonderful words of life, that we may fulfil His great and glorious purpose that He has purposed for each one of us, in this our generation. Have a heart! Live! Amen.
"faith comes by hearing (God's word). Faith grows by obedience. Faith is strengthened in trials. Faith is the victory that overcomes the natural world. "
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this wonderful message.