Hebrews 3:7-8
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,”
INSIGHT
-Diverse scriptural references bring out various aspects of human anatomy are used to define the whole person, but the most frequently used is heart. The heart is the seat of human choices (Deuteronomy 8:2; Luke 21:34: Acts 11:23), emotions (Psalm 25:1, Proverbs 14:10; Isaiah 66:14, John 14:1, Romans 9:2), intelligence (Proverbs 16:1; Luke 9:47), morality (Psalm 58:2; Romans 1:24), and one’s religious life (Deuteronomy 6:5; Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 10:9-10; Galatians 4:6). The heart, in effect, is the whole person in all of his or her distinctive human activity as a thinking, planning, willing, feeling, worshiping, socially interacting being. The faith of the Israelites was tested in the wilderness even after they were delivered from their Egyptian masters. Initially, they lost patience after Moses went to mount Sinai and they worshipped a golden calf. They were unstable in thought and heart, and anxiety over food, and their well-being took over. Their unbelief caused a hardening of heart, and many of them perished in the wilderness, and never saw the promised land. The Holy Spirit is calling us to have faith in Him despite the trials and challenges that we go through, and we will rejoice with Him forever in His heavenly kingdom.
PRAYER
This is the day that You have made Lord, we rejoice and are glad in it. We count our blessings and name them one by one. You have been gracious and kind to us dear Jesus all through the year, we thank You. As we come to the close of the year we rejoice in You and celebrate Your love. We have seen You and experienced Your loving kindness, we bless Your holy name. We humbly ask You to shepherd us through the remain part of the year and the whole of this week. May Your favor and grace be with us. We humbly beseech You Holy Spirit to increase our faith so that we may stand upon You the Rock of our salvation even when trials and temptations come. We submit our hearts unto You, may You heal us and wash us with Your precious blood. May You remove all evil from our hearts and direct us in Your paths of righteousness. May You forgive us all our trespasses and remove every form of unforgiveness from our hearts. Heal our hearts dear Jesus and direct our steps. Fight for us all our battles and grant us victory in all things. Thank You for choosing us and for making us Your children. Thank You for loving us and for sustaining us. All glory, honor, power and praise belongs to You Lord now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalm 95:8-9, Psalm 51:10
Romans 2:5
“But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
INSIGHT
-God is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord calls us to repent, and not be conformed to the patterns of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may realize His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). Repentance of one sinner leads to much rejoice in heaven. God calls us to be converted and become like little children in humility and we will inherit His heavenly kingdom (Matthew 18:3-4).
PRAYER
Abba Father You are good and Your mercies endures forever. Jesus You are merciful and faithfulness endures to all generations. Holy Spirit You are loving and Your loving-kindness is everlasting. We love You Lord and bless Your holy name. We come to You today with repentant hearts, forgive us and wash us with Your precious blood. May You remove from us hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh. Fill us with Your fruit of humility that we may always humble ourselves before You dear Jesus. We humbly ask You to fill our hearts with the spirit of the fear of You that we may always hearken to Your voice and do Your good, pleasing and perfect will. We are not good but only You Father are good, we rely on Your mercy and grace. We remember those who do not acknowledge You dear Jesus as Lord and Savior that You may grant them access to eternal life. May Your revival reach many among us. May we be partakers of Your great move and revival in this nation and all the nations of the world. We thank You Lord and bless Your holy name. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Proverbs 28:14, 1 Peter 5:6
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”
INSIGHT
-The Lord fulfilled His promise by granting possession of the promised land to the Israelites. Since the Lord richly blessed them, He commanded generosity and kindness to be extended to the poor (Deuteronomy 15:4). James 2:15-17 reveals that, if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, we should be willing to provide the things which they need and not dismiss them saying, “depart in peace, be warm and filled”. By doing this we put our faith to work because we are the blessed of the Lord, and we will receive our reward. If we harden our hearts to the poor and needy, the love of God does not abide in us (1 John 3:16-17).
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You and bless Your holy name. How great are You Lord our God in all the earth. You have been good to us, we thank You and praise Your holy name. You have blessed us and preserved us, we worship You. May You teach us to put our faith into action. May You grant us generous hearts dear Jesus that we serve You as we minister to the poor in the society. May Your love be ever present in our hearts, that it may radiate to many among us including the poor, orphans and widows. Fill us with Your love Holy Spirit that we may love You and our neighbors as ourselves. May the love of Christ foundation reach many children living in the streets for the glory of Your name. Help us to serve You with contrite hearts, fully submitted to You dear Jesus. Increase our faith in You, we humbly ask You. Minister unto us in our homes, relationships, marriages, society, government, and ministries, we humbly implore You Lord. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Matthew 25:31-46
John 12:37-41
“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus preached in Jerusalem and performed many signs and miracles but the people hardened their hearts. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 23:37-39). The people shut their eyes and ears to the truth and did not recognize the significance of seeing and hearing, and consequently did not repent so that they may receive forgiveness. This is a sad reality today where people have become dull in hearing and their understanding has been darkened. God calls each one of us to receive His salvation. Through His new covenant, He gives each one a new heart and a new spirit that we may turn and live.
PRAYER
Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest heaven. Open the eyes of our hearts dear Jesus so that we may see You. Grant that we may see You in our lives, families, work, businesses, relationships, marriages, government, society, purposes and nation. Open the hearts of all people and nations that we may see Your salvation and walk through the Door of life. Open our ears dear Jesus that we may hear Your voice and follow You. Forgive us our trespasses and wash us with Your precious blood dear Jesus. You are the Lord who heals us. May You heal us from all pain, fear, unbelief and evil desires. Grant us rest in Your presence Holy Spirit and help us to turn from all evil. Fill us with Your fruit and gifts our Helper. May Your favor, grace and blessings always be present in us and with us. All glory, honor, power and praise belongs to You Lord, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Ezekiel 18:30-32, Jeremiah 31:33
Matthew 19:8-9
“He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
INSIGHT
–Divorce has become a prevalent influence since time immemorial. With the growing cases internationally, families suffer its dire consequences. Both the young and the old in marriages throw in the towel due to a concoction of reasons. The main scripture reveals that divorce takes place when either or both the spouses harden their hearts. As much as it is permissible where incidences of adultery are involved, it is important to embrace forgiveness and forgive seventy times seven times. It is also key to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flows issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
SUMMARY
Jeremiah 17:9-10 reminds us that, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, only the Lord searches the heart and tests the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. Hardening of ones heart may occur supernaturally. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart during the plague and he did not let the Israelites go (Exodus 7:13). Also, hardening of the heart may be an act of the will. Some Jews especially in Jerusalem interacted with Jesus but they did not believe in Him. They shut their eyes and ears to the truth and did not repent. Consequently, they did not receive forgiveness. Likewise, during the days of Moses the Israelites saw and interacted with God’s supernatural acts of deliverance but hardened their hearts and worshipped a golden calf. They did not put their trust in God even after experiencing deliverance by the occurrence of the ten plagues, and splitting the Red Sea. Because of their unbelief, an entire generation perished in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land; apart from Joshua and Caleb who believed in God. Also, hardening of heart causes one to store up wrath for themselves in the day of judgement (Romans 2:5). In the same wavelength, hardening of heart may lead to insensitivity to the poor and needy in the society which again leads to condemnation (Matthew 25:31-43, Deuteronomy 15:7-8). Last but not least, hardening of heart may precipitate divorce which the Lord hates (Malachi 2:16). Therefore, we are called to submit our hearts with the humility of little children to God so that we He may create in us a new heart and spirit. We should also be willing to keep His word and obey His divine will. We are also reminded to repent and change our minds, so that we may be healed. We must also believe in Jesus Christ, and have a proper relationship with Him so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in us.
PRAYER
Our Father and our God we come to You with humility in our hearts. We humbly ask that You forgive us all our trespasses and wash us with Your precious blood. Make us a new creation in You Holy Spirit that we may draw near to You not only with our mouths but also with our hearts. May You protect us from the snares of the enemy and every form of evil. We humbly beseech You Christ to remove every accusation against us, our families and nation our Righteous Judge. May You shield us from divorce and every form of marital problem that we might be faced with. May You grant the gift of marriage to all those who desire it merciful Father. You are faithful Father to keep Your promises, and none will lack a mate. Thank You dear Jesus for loving us with Your everlasting love. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine towards you and be gracious to You. May He shine His countenance towards You and give You peace. Amen
Further reading: Isaiah 34:16, Matthew 13:1-23