Published by admin on 19 Dec 2008 at 03:07 pm
WITH HARDENED HEARTS
With hardened hearts we often look upon our lives and fail to see the times God has blessed us in the past. Time and time again He has brought relief from a trial, only to hear us complain the next time we are in a tight spot. How quick we are to forget the last time the Lord helped us in time of need. Rather, just like Jesus’ disciples, we look at the need at hand and it’s like our memory of past victories has been completely wiped out. It happened back in their day, and it happens yet today. I believe “hardness of heart” is one of the weapons the devil uses against us.
If we kept a record of all the times the Lord has delivered us in time of need, the devil wouldn’t have much to work with in that area. But most of us don’t. I started a “book of remembrance” some time back, but don’t always keep it current, due to not carrying it with me everywhere I go. And because of that, not every blessing of God that comes my way gets recorded, and like others, I get busy and forget. I believe God would not have us forget all the times He comes to our aid.
It is easy to criticize the disciples for their hardness of heart, especially being they were with Jesus every day for about 3 ½ years, and saw miracle after miracle. Yet as soon as one miracle situation was over, it was like they forgot what He did. But we need to also look at ourselves and realize we’re doing it, too. Once I told the Lord, if I was living back then and was following Him, I wouldn’t have been that way. He responded; Yes, you would have, because it’s human nature. How I long to be free of that particular trait. I believe even the best of us can stand some improvement in the area of “hardness of heart”. Jesus certainly saw the need in His disciples.
Here is an example in Mark 6:32-52;
Mar 6:32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
Mar 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Mar 6:35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Mar 6:36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
Mar 6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
Mar 6:38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
Mar 6:39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
Mar 6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Mar 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
Mar 6:42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
Mar 6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
Mar 6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Mar 6:45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
Mar 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
Mar 6:47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
Mar 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
Mar 6:49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
Mar 6:50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
Mar 6:51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
Mar 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
We need to keep in mind that all this happened in the same day, how could they have forgotten what had transpired earlier in the day? I mean, it isn’t every day that a miracle like that occurs, but like Jesus said, their hearts were hardened. Are ours also? Have we failed to consider all that God has done for us already? Then how is it we get so anxious when the next need sticks its head up? If we would constantly be in remembrance of all the times God has taken care of us in the past, we couldn’t help but stay in perfect peace. “Perfect peace”, is it even attainable in this day and age? Of course it is, but it is entirely dependent upon us, not God, for He has shown Himself faithful in every situation. So what’s the problem, then? It must certainly be a failure on our part to believe the Word of God, no matter what the situation looks like.
Again, in Mark 8:15-37 we see another case;
Mar 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
Mar 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
Mar 8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
Mar 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
Mar 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mar 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Mar 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
Mar 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Mar 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
Mar 8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Why did Jesus lead the man out of town? There must have been too much unbelief and hardness of heart present for Jesus to be able to do anything for him, such as He had to deal with in His own home village among His own people. Jesus needed some “one-on-one” time alone with the blind man, which He could not get with the crowd hanging around. Sometimes you just have to get away from the “crowd” and get alone with Jesus in order to get the results you need. You have to “separate yourself”, else you too will suffer from hardness of heart. It isn’t like Jesus doesn’t want to help you, but even His help can’t get through hardness of heart and unbelief.
Mar 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Mar 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
Mar 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
Mar 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
Mar 8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mar 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
Mar 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
This is a very dire warning from the Lord Jesus, that hardness of heart will not only keep us out of the Kingdom of God in the “sweet by-and-by”, but prevent us from having our needs met in the “lousy here-and-now”. If we believe Jesus is the very Christ, we have absolutely no excuse for getting in fear over what is going on in the world around us, or what is going on in our finances, or what is happening in our body. If He is really who He says He is (and He is), then we need to ditch the hardness of heart that is holding is back. Many “seek a sign”, just as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day did, and to them He said no sign would be given to that generation.
Many want to believe they are healed after they see a sign of it. Others say they will believe after they see an improvement in their finances, or whatever bad situation they happen to be facing at the time. Let me give you a “heads-up”. You will ALWAYS be facing bad situations as long as you live. Jesus talked about the man who dug deep and built his house on the rock, versus the one who built his house on the sand. The flood came to both, but the house built on the rock stood. Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t exempt you from trials, because they come to all. However, if your heart is hardened and you forget all He has done in the past, it doesn’t put you in a very good position to be delivered now and in the future.
Today, make it your priority to be rid of a “hardened heart”. Pitch it in the garbage. Don’t bother to “recycle” it, either. Go before the Lord and confess,
Lord, just like Your disciples, I have sometimes suffered from hardness of heart. Please forgive me and help my unbelief, that I may be quick to remember all you have done for me, that Your peace may rule in my life, no matter what I may face now or in the future.