Hebrews 3:7 That is why the Holy Spirit says,“Today when you hear his voice,8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, 'Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath:‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
I don't know about you... but I want to enter into the place of rest...
when I was very young... I learned that if your heart is hard.. you will not be hurt.. I was very young and learned to intentionally harden my heart... I could literally feel the coldness.. the hardness coming over it... and then within a few minutes... I didn't much care about whatever it was that was about to hurt me... now I knew that this was allowing the devil to reside within me... but somehow I thought that as long as I prayed and read my bible and stayed in the church that it was okay to keep a little bit of the devil's protection on my heart... there are also places in the bible that it is stated that God hardened someone's heart (the pharaoh is once instance...)so in my twisted mind I decide that this is all right to do sometimes... and nothing hurt me because it could not touch my heart... I didn't expect anything from anyone... I didn't need anyone... I didn't love anyone...
yet somehow in all my hardness God kept His hand upon me and still spoke to me and still led me... then came the day that He said enough was enough... and that was the end of all of it... He has since taken the hardness off of my heart... I am open to love... which also makes me open to pain... and it is scary... this had to be a conscious decision that I made... and continues to be daily something that I must strive for as the old ways are very easy to fall into... I must daily submit my will... my thoughts... my desires... my heart... my emotions... to Jehovah and allow Him to be the protector of my heart... and allow Him to lead me in the paths of righteousness...
we are to be the walking, talking love of God upon this earth... how can we do this with a hardened heart? with us constantly protecting ourselves... we do not allow God's love and goodness to shine out from withing us... open yourself up to God today... trust Him to be the protector of your heart... trust God to love you enough to overcome anything this world might bring against you...
No comments:
Post a Comment