Hardened Heart

(Message by Bro. Vijay Awale. Hearty reading!)

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.


Is our heart hardened? Or is it soft and tender? Many have this idea, that people with hardened heart are those unbelievers, or those that are living in rebellion against God. They also think that this kind of people is easily identified by their sinful behaviour. But let me show you from the Bible, that things are not as simple as that! And at the end of this message, it may surprise you to find that the ‘hardened heart’ condition may be true in our own lives, too!

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

These 'senses' are in the spiritual realm that Jesus is talking about (the super-natural realm). In our spirit we have the ability to perceive, understand, see, hear and remember. But how is it in a church service, that the preacher goes on preaching, and only few grasp of what God is speaking into their hearts? The same word is heard by everyone in the congregation, but a part of them is unable to perceive and understand; but others do! And if you are not alive in your spirit to these five senses of perceiving, understanding, seeing, hearing and remembering, you have a severe disability in the spiritual sense. It leads us towards the hardened heart condition- a dangerous curve of our spiritual life.

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.

Heart Matters

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph. Hearty reading!)
When God rejected king Saul because he did not follow the LORD fully, He sent prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel on reaching the house of Jesse, and seeing his elder sons thought to himself that they were fit for God’s anointing because they were valiant-looking and strong: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” [1 Samuel 16:7]

The heart of the matter is matters concerning the heart; God is interested in our heart-condition. Think about how much time you spend on your outward appearance- the gazing in the mirror, the arranging of hair, the grooming and so much more… Now do we not neglect the matters concerning the heart? The inner man remains neglected! It is my burden today to share with you this: Let us check our heart condition.
We may look “cool” outwardly- dress well, come to church, join in worship and prayer, and yet can leave the place without any edification in our heart. But God is now looking at your heart… is it anyway tuned to hear Him? Is it anyway nearer in kindness and dearer in God’s love? Apostle Paul spent an entire day in Rome, explaining salvation in the name of Jesus and that Jesus was Christ indeed; but at the end he concludes this quoting from Isaiah 6: For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them [Acts 28:27].

Why do Christians who are filled with knowledge let their hearts grow dull? Why did the people of Israel, who saw the greatest of miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness- being filled with manna from above, day after day- not for weeks or months, but imagine a full 40 years- and water out of rock, and meat in the wilderness, constantly murmured and complained and let down their guard and faith while facing the ‘giants’ of Palestine, before whom they looked like grass-hoppers? In Hebrews 3:10 God says: Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.

The Psalmist contemplates teaching the children- the generation to come, of God’s ways and to set their hope in Him. And not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright. (Psalm 78: 8). Have you been taught by your parents? Have you taught your children to put their hope in God?

The people of Jesus’ time had such a privilege of meeting the Master Himself- and hearing Him speak, words of grace and truth. Yet, many turned away and did not quite get what Jesus was saying. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” [Matt. 15:8] How do you draw near to Jesus? Is your heart far away? The Pharisees were experts in the law of Moses; and they made a routine and ritual out of God’s commandments and laws. They had long robes and made long prayers, but fell way short of God’s expectation; because they were blind!

There is one miracle of Jesus (out of so many miracles) that all the four gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, write about: The miracle of how more than 5000 men (apart from women and children) were fed by five loaves of bread and 2 fishes. But immediately after, on seeing Jesus walking on the sea, the disciples were terrified. Mark writes: For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. [Mark 6:52]
Like the people of Rome, or the Israelites during the time of Moses, or the Pharisees during the time of Jesus, or the disciples themselves, there may be a hardening of our heart. We must be careful not to allow this that our hearts become hardened, but allow His Spirit to always reach us, teach us- always being tender-hearted and yielding to His love. God is really interested in taking away our hearts of stone and giving us hearts of flesh; God is interested in creating in us a clean heart. That you may be people who can keep the one great (first) commandment: Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength. [Mark 12: 30]

From the people in the Old testament, there is one person who was careful to keep his heart tender- the young lad David, who was finally anointed as king over Israel by the prophet Samuel. God’s testimony of David is remarkable: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will. [Acts 13:22]
God’s rejection of Saul, and approval of David is a lesson of the heart for all of us. There were kings after David, who obeyed God’s commands, and served Him alone. But what set David apart is that he went on to touch the heart of God. He was not only a great composer of music, a great poet, a courageous warrior- but as he was given rest, he would contemplate on what to do for God. One day, he was sitting in his palace, and pondered why God’s ark is still in a tent! Immediately he called for the prophet Nathan and told him of his plan to build God’s temple. God was so pleased that He told David that He would make his name great because he had thought about this thing. And even though God appointed David’s heir to throne to actually build the temple (because David was a man of bloodshed), David went about with passion to design and make arrangements for artisans and skilled workers, and making provisions for materials and resources. Later on, all Solomon had to do was coordinate the work to see the completion of the temple. Even on his deathbed, David instructed Solomon to complete the building of the temple. Mark his words: As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. (1 Chr. 28:9)

The LORD knows our hearts intentions. We may hide it from our people, but the Lord knows. You see- the LORD loved Solomon too and granted him to have such great wisdom and understanding, that he set right many proverbs, wrote theses on animals, plants and life and living in general. But, he lacked the willing heart that would go after God at all costs.

Today let it be us and our hearts that would go after God. Do not let your hearts go astray; do not let your hearts grow dull; do not let your hearts go far away from God; do not let your hearts be hardened. But let us love the Lord with all our hearts; let us pursue after God and seek His will; let us be men and women after God own’s heart doing God’s will; let us serve Him with all our heart.

God grant us hearts of flesh to be tender-hearted. Amen.