Hardness of Heart

“But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:15

“Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:19

“And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?” Exodus 9:16-17

If Pharaoh wouldn’t have hardened his heart, a lot of trouble wouldn’t have come upon him and his people. It wasn’t that he didn’t have evidence to believe that there was a God. Even the magicians of Egypt were convinced and told him that this was the finger of God. Some people are just unreasonable. Be sure he hardened his heart first.

But he wasn’t the only one that unbelief cost something. Unbelief cost the Israelites too. 

In Hebrews 3:8-12 we read, “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. . . .

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Hebrews 3:8-12

They missed out on the promises of God, because of their unbelief.

“And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:18-19

When we don’t believe the promises of God, it seems like it  is a great offense to Him.

“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:” Luke 23:25

“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” Mark 16:13-14

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:11

Having a hard heart is something we can all fall into. It seems like it is something that causes great offense to our Lord. It  will rob us of many blessings in this life. 

It can have eternal consequences too. Revelation 21:8 reads,

“But the unbelieving . . .  shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.“

Mark 1:15 says, “ . . .[R]epent ye, and believe the gospel.” 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

God bless.

God is Greater Than our Heart

The Bible tells us that “God is greater than our heart” (I Jn. 3.20).

I had some thoughts on this. It is a saying “follow your heart”. But our heart can be wrong.

I John 3:20 reads, “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” Sometimes our heart can be telling us things that aren’t right or that aren’t true (See also Pr. 21.2). [Some people have said “Follow your heart, but take your brain with you”. Sometimes our brains can lead us to do the wrong thing too (I Cor. 8.9-11). We need to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not put our trust in our own understanding (Pr. 3.5-6).]

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2

“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Psalm 73:25-26

The Lord can turn hearts.

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Pr. 21.1).

The Lord can change hearts.

David said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

He can heal those with a  broken heart!

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” (Ps. 147.3).

He can heal all the problems of our hearts.

Jesus can help our unbelief. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mk. 9.23-24).

It is with the heart that men believe, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness  . . .” Romans 10:10

He surely can help us  to forgive. “ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matt. 18.35).

He can help our “inordinate affections” (Col. 3.5). Some things aren’t ours. They don’t belong to us.   If God didn’t give us something then we are stealing from Him.  The Lord created marriage. And He created it between one man and one woman, and nothing else. Men and women belong to God (Ezek. 18.4), and there are some things we are never to look at for marriage. It doesn’t matter how we feel about the matter. 

The Lord  also said in Proverbs 23:26, “ My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”  When we give our heart to the Lord, and keep our eyes on his ways, we change.  The Lord looks beautiful and  sin starts looking more like its ugly self. And when we do this we don’t have the same desires.

Job said,  “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31.1). I think Job gave his heart to the Lord.

I was just going over my notes from Church from a few years ago. My dad was preaching on Jude 24-25. He talked about Hebrews 2:18. “[H]e is able to succour them that are tempted.” Succour means help.

He said that Jesus gives us a complete salvation. “[H]e is able to save them to the uttermost . . .” (Heb. 7.25). Jesus can can help our body, soul, and spirit. Jesus can help those that cannot help themselves. And He is able to keep us from falling!  “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 24).
And He surely is greater than any problem we will ever face!

A Scripture for Today, February 19th, 2023

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:1-8

This verse says that when King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. Then when Isaiah saw the Lord, he realized how wrong and unclean he was. We might not see how wrong we are, even as God’s people, if something comes between us and the Lord, or if we take our eyes off of the Lord.

I was saved as a little kid. I remember that after I was saved, I saw the things I did as ugly. But we still need to keep our eyes on the Lord after we are saved.

Proverbs 23:26 reads, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

A Scripture for Today, July 19th, 2022

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. ” Leviticus 19:17-18

Thoughts on the Word of God Written on our Heart

Men like to appeal to every man’s heart as the highest standard of what is right, but that is not in agreement with the Word of God.

The Lord said in Jeremiah, ”The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart . . .” Jeremiah 17:1

The Lord said that people’s sins can be engraven on their heart with a pen with a point of diamond.

Each of us has a heart that is evil and wicked. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

We need the Lord to give us a new heart.

The Lord said later in Jeremiah 31:33, “ . . . I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33

He also said in Ezekiel, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

James tells us that after we are saved, God puts His Law in our hearts.

“[R]eceive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:18

 

I remember when I was a little girl,  after I asked Jesus to save me from my sins, I didn’t want to do things that I used to. I saw what I did as ugliness, and I wanted to be better.

 

After we are saved we need to let the Word of God dwell in us richly.

 

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom . . .” Colossians 3:16

 

God told Moses to write down His Words (Ex. 34.27). God told Isaiah to write down His words (Is. 30.8).God commissioned every book in the Bible. But, one place God wanted His Word written was in our hearts.  And after we are saved we need to let the Word of God dwell in us richly.

 

Jesus says, “ If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15).

 

Even after we are saved we still mess up. We won’t be perfect until we get to Heaven. But we have help to do better.

 

I John 1:8-9 says,“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

If we love Jesus, and have His Word in our heart, we need to obey Him more and more.

 

James 1:22  says, “ But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

 

When we have God’s Word written on our heart, people can see the Word of God through us.

“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart..” II Corinthians 3:2-3

 

 

This doesn’t mean that we have to have lived a perfect life.  I have wondered about this. We want to show Jesus to the world, but we surely aren’t sinless. Do we draw attention to everything we did wrong? But, part of doing the Word of God, is confessing our sins like 1st John tells us.  Doing the will of God is owning up to we aren’t perfect. It is saying like I John 1:8 that we are sinners. And  we say that if God can save someone like me, He can save you.  Confessing our sins, shows people how much we love the Lord, it shows Christ living in us, and it shows how vile, and how wicked we see sin. Sin is vile, even if it is in our ownselves.  If we don’t confess our sins and live in them, we are calling God a liar with our actions and lives, and we are saying that we are alright.
I just want to say that the most beautiful things I’ve seen in the world have been in the Lord’s Churches. And one of the most beautiful things the Lord has let me see in His services is a saved person coming forward and saying “I’m sorry”.

 

We read by Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the Corinthian Church really messed up. Yet in his second Epistle the Apostle Paul still said that they were the epistle of Christ.

 

“For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” II Corinthians 7:11

If we want to be an Epistle of Christ, if we want to share the Gospel with others and the Word of God, we will confess our sins, and we will live for Jesus.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. . . Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalm 51:10-13

These have been just a few thoughts.

God bless.

A Froward Heart

What is a forward heart and what does the Bible say about it?

“ For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.” Proverbs 3:32

“They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.” Proverbs 11:20

Having a forward heart is something that the Lord hates. The Scriptures repeat this.  So it is important to study what a forward heart is.

Webster’s English dictionary tells us the following:

“FRO’WARD, adjective [Latin versus:turned or looking from.]

Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a froward child.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).

 

The Online Etymological Dictionary also gives us this information:

“froward (adv.)12c., froward, fraward “turned against, perverse, disobedient; peevish, petulant; adverse, difficult,” as a preposition, “away from,” the Northern form of Old English fromweard (see fromward), with Old Norse fra (see fro) in place of English from. Opposite of toward, it renders Latin pervertus in early translations of the Psalms, and also meant “about to depart, departing,” and “doomed to die.” Related: Frowardly; frowardness.” (Etymology Online).

 

So a forward heart is a heart that is rebellious, that doesn’t wish to “yield” or “comply”

The word “yield” comes from the old Anglian word “geldan “ and as a verb has the meaning of paying someone what they are due or requiting someone. It also includes the specific meaning of rendering worship (Yield, Etymology Online).

So a froward heart is a heart that does not want to give God the glory and honor he deserves.

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth . . .“ I Chron. 16.29-30

A froward heart also does not wish to comply. “Comply (v.) early 14c., “to carry out, fulfill” (transitive), . . .”to consent, act in accordance with another’s will or desire. . .” (Etymology Online).

A forward heart does not wish to obey the commandments of God. A forward heart is rebellious.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God . . .” Romans 1:21

A forward heart is a heart that is “peevish” and “petulant”.

“PEE’VISH, adjective

1. Fretful; petulant; apt to mutter and complain; easily vexed or fretted; querulous; hard to please.

She is peevish sullen, froward.

2. Expressing discontent and fretfulness. . .” (Peevish, Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).

A forward heart complains. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful . . .”

 

The Scriptures seem to indicate that forwardness leads into other things.

It leads into idolatry.

 The verse in Romans picks up, “ . . . neither were thankful;  but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” Romans 1:21-23

The Lord said of Israel in Deuteronomy “I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities. . .” Deuteronomy 32:20-21

We have seen that a forward heart is a stubborn and rebellious heart. And what does the Lord say of rebellion?

“ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” I Samuel 15:23

 

Having a forward heart is having a perverse heart (Webster; Etymology Online).

The Online Etymological Dictionary’s entry for” perverse” reads: “mid-14c., “wicked,” from Old French pervers “unnatural, degenerate; perverse, contrary” (12c.) and directly from Latin perversus “turned away, contrary, askew,” figuratively, “turned away from what is right, wrong, malicious, spiteful,” past participle of pervertere “to corrupt” .

Having a froward heart is “unnatural” or not the way God intended us to be. He did not create us with a contrary and rebellious heart. That is sin in us.

In the Bible a forward and a rebellious heart is what precedes other perversion.

“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, . . .For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:25-28

 

A froward heart also leads to a heart devoid of love.

“Being filled with all unrighteousness. . . murder. . . haters of God . . .covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful . . .” Romans 1:31

Harboring a forward heart leads to a heart that is devoid of love for God and others.

 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matt 24:12

Knowing what God thinks of a froward heart, and knowing what it leads into,  we ought get rid of a froward heart.

“A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.” Psalm 101:4

The Lord tells us to get rid of it.

“Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart. . .” Ezekiel 18.31

“[S]erve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts. . .” I Chron 28:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13

With the Lord Jesus’ help we can change our heart!

If we yield to Him in acknowledging His Lordship over us, and ask for His help in doing what  He tells us is right, He tells us in His Word He will help us go in the way we ought to go.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

 “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:13-14

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

As I mentioned yesterday, after Abraham refused riches from the king of Sodom, the Lord came to him saying,

“After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

What were some of these riches? In Genesis 15 we read about the  and the promise of a great nation rising from Abraham, and a promise that in his “seed” all the nations of the world would be blessed.

But, there is a great treasure in verse one.  We read that the word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision.  How do you see the word of the Lord? Well, “Who is the Word of the Lord?”  Jesus Christ! (John 1:1,14; Rev. 19:13)

Matthew 5:8 reads, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” 

Abraham turned his back on the world, and he saw the Lord.

Like Abraham when we turn our back to the world, and the more we order our steps in the right way, the Bible tells us the more and more the Lord will show of Himself to us, through His word and in our lives.

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:21

Let not your Heart be Troubled

Jesus said in John 14:1,
” Let not your heart be troubled…”
The verb “let” has the meaning “ to permit, to allow, or not prevent”, thus we have a choice in the matter, of whether or not our heart is troubled.

(It’s not always  “easy”, but we DO have a choice in the matter. Someone telling us not to let our heart be troubled, may not fix the problem, but Jesus telling us this certainly can.)

 Why should we not let our heart be troubled?

Because the Lord is with us, while we be with Him.
” I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Psalm 16:8-9
Because of the future. Because of what Jesus did for us.
” …ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3

Because the fear of man, brings a snare.

” The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:25

When we are afraid, we don’t wait for God, and we act, and bring a snare upon ourselves.

Abraham and Sarah, didn’t necessarily trust the Lord to keep His promise, and that caused a whole lot of trouble.

Because fear may keep you in the same place.
Because of the fear of man, Israel did not listen to God, to go into the promised land. And so God caused Israel to wander into the desert for fourty years, before they were allowed to enter.

Because fear may keep you in the valley, in the same place,  and hinder you from getting the victory.

(I Samuel 17)
When Goliath the giant came out against the children of Israel, instead of trusting in the Lord’s promise, and moving forward Israel remained in the valley for forty days, until David came along.

Because Jesus said it would come to pass.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.” John 16:1-4

” Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I Peter 4:12-13

”  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

 

Because with God’s help we can do it.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Because God is greater than our heart.

I John 3:20. If He can change our heart into a heart that loves Him, if He can calm a stormy sea, He can give us peace in our heart.

” For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” I John 3:19-22

” This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:8-9