The forms had been set, the cement had been poured and the mixture had begun to harden. After first being poured, the mixture was still pliable. Air pockets are flattened, corners leveled and accidental footprints removed. The smoothing and shaping were finished. Furthermore, the cement was hardening. Yet before it had solidified completely a curious cat padded across the newly poured and drying sidewalk leaving in its wake a trail of lightly formed pawprints, now too difficult to remove.
In similar fashion, our hearts can be kept soft and pliable or they can become hardened and difficult. The Holy Spirit, through the Hebrew writer directs our thoughts to the actions of the Israelites and then cautions us to keep our hearts from solidifying.
“While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”
Hebrews 3:15
As I sat with this verse and meditated on the stories from which this admonition came, my heart recognized the need of daily vigilance against heart hardening. Just as cement does not solidify in a quick fashion, neither does our heart.
Another term God uses to describe the hard-hearted is stiff-necked and stubborn. God is grieved when we let our hearts become hardened. The indictment of becoming known as ‘the people of the stiff-neck’ is not at all God-honoring.
The Hardening Process
Travel back to Egypt. See the miracles that happened to deliver the Israelites from bondage. Hear the shouts of joy as the throng of people stream out of Egypt. Listen as the clamor of fear rises from the multitude when they become hemmed in by jagged cliffs on either side, the Egyptian army behind and the Red Sea in front of them.
Watch as God commands them to be still and then with a roar the waves become a wall and a path is opened in the sea before them. With shouts of victory the Israelites cross over on dry ground. Then fear rises again as the Egyptian chariots rush forward to stop their march of victory. However, God once again works a miracle and the waters surge forward and the army is drowned.
These mighty miracles of God’s intervention have vanquished the doubts of the Israelites forever. Right?
Wrong! In fact, just three days after Red Sea miracle we find the people at the waters of Meribah. (Exodus 17) Here the Israelites failed to trust God’s supply. They doubted God’s promise and power. Quarreling and contention became their perpetual behavior.
Yet, in spite of Israel’s faithlessness, God remained faithful. As Moses interceded on behalf of the complaining, quarrelsome people water rushed from the rock.
What Patterns are We Portraying
It was through this continual and defiant unbelief that their hearts were hardened. The Israelites became deaf to the voice of God and blind to His love and power. How many times do we fall into this same pattern of unbelief in our lives?
God answers our prayers. We rejoice. Hardship comes. Fears rise and doubts flood our hearts. Instead of standing firm on God’s promises, we falter and flail. With long-suffering kindness, God delivers. Yet, instead of learning to trust, we fall back into fear and doubt when faced with a new adversity.
We must put into place preventative measures against the hardness of heart that will result if we continue to let doubt and fear reign. When we tune our hearts to hear God’s whisper a softening overtakes our spirit. It is a pliability that God values.
Preventative Measures
- Recognize the battle. The battle is clearly defined in Ephesians 6:12. It is against the powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness that we fight. Therefore, we must clothe ourselves with the armor God supplies. We each have personal battles against hardness of heart that we must overcome. Through the power of the Spirit victory can be won. Doubt and unbelief do not have to gain the upper hand.
- Realign your mindset. We must push back against the pattern of habitual unbelief. When we perceive the strategy of negligence the devil is using against us we then can realign our mindset. In the past, we may have fallen into doubt when adversity arose. Now we recognize the battle and firmly stand against the onslaught of unbelief that comes. When doubts scrabble for purchase in our mind, we must resolutely keep our focus on God’s faithfulness. The struggle is real, but God has given us all we need to live a life of victory.(2 Peter 1:3 & 4)
- Receive God’s promises. In this fight against a hardened heart we must claim the victory given through Jesus’ sacrifice. The promises of God enable us to share in His divine power. Tuck the promises of God into your heart. Tether your soul to God through the Word. As you do so, the Sword of the Spirit can be wielded with deftness.
- Rise to the challenge. When our spirit is stirred and our heart is challenged to confront the enemy we are ready to move forward. However, the electrifying feeling may not remain. In this likely occurrence, we must determine to rise to the challenge in spite of the spiritual darkness that overtakes us. It is in the trenches we must defy self and make strides in our spiritual growth and maturity. Remain vigilant against the hardness of heart that threatens to damn your soul.
- Refine your spiritual workout. There is a place in the spiritual life for a workout. Ask God to show you the areas that tend toward making you lean in your soul. Then daily exercise yourself unto godliness in those areas. If doubt has wrapped its tentacles around your soul, purposefully choose to trust God in the face of obstacles. Supposing it is a tendency of unkindness toward a discordant personality, work on intentional kindness. When hurry and stress has gripped your soul, purposefully schedule time to be still. If offenses from a loved one tend to make you retreat, deliberately bless them with actionable love. When complaining and ingratitude has a death grip on your soul, with conscious effort make gratitude a consistent habit.
- Rely on God’s strength. As we establish preventative measures against heart hardening we must continually rely on God’s strength. We cannot make this journey on our own. In the days in-between miracles, the Israelites reverted to their own strength. As you study their wilderness wanderings, you will find that it was only when they relied on God that spiritual help was gained.
Heart Reminders Against Hardening
Just as the hardening of cement is a process, so is the hardening of a heart. Are there areas in your life that defiant stubbornness has infiltrated? Is your heart pliable or toughened? Would stiff-necked be a word that would describe you in certain aspects of life? Or have you responded to God’s whispers and your heart has softened at His touch? Are you allowing God to shape you into a beautiful vessel for His glory? How is it with your heart?
There is a strategy that will prevent heart hardening and produce spiritual progress. Moreover, as we put into place preventative measures against hardness of heart, a deeper trust and firm reliance on God will result.
Our hearts can become pliable and teachable. The hardness of heart that obstructs God’s voice can be removed. In the day to day, stay pliable and teachable. It may look like baby steps, but baby steps mean forward progress.
Doubt and unbelief are threaded through the Israelite’s story. Your story doesn’t have to end that way.
When faced with hardship and adversity, remind your heart that this is an opportunity to trust God. Then take preventative measures as you recognize the battleground. Moreover, shift your mindset and know that God’s promises are given to you. Remain vigilant as you exercise your spiritual muscles. Above all, daily rely on God’s strength.
Today…..do the baby steps.
0 Comments