Written by Paul Lane
The Word
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”Hebrews 3:7-11 (ESV)
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.”Psalm 95:6-11 (ESV)
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:18-23 (ESV)
Reflection
In today’s scripture, notice what is really provoking God to anger. It is the condition of the hearts of the people. God says,
“10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’”
As you might be frustrated with a friend, or loved one, you might say, “you always do that!” This speaks of a tendency they have in their lives and in their heart. When God says, “they always go astray,” He is pointing out that they have a heart condition. This condition is what keeps them from following God’s direction. So, there is a connection between having a hard heart and your ability to know God’s ways and to follow His instructions.
The Old Testament is full of stories where God gave instructions, and the people followed for a while, and then they drifted off. In our Hebrews passage, the writer is specifically referring to the exodus from Egypt and the rebellion in the wilderness. The children of Israel made their own image to worship, even though God had done great works to set them free. Later, when God provided judges to watch over them, they demanded a king, because they wanted to be like all the other nations. Then, once they got their first king, King Saul, he disobeyed God’s command and kept the treasures for himself. They started to follow God, but then wondered off, due to both internal and external influences.
The world is always pulling at us to walk away from God and His plan, but it is when we connect with those distractions that we are drawn off. It is as Jesus explained in the parable of the sower. The seed that fell on the hard ground is not able to take root, but the seed that falls on the rocky ground springs up quickly and is not able to withstand difficulties. And of course, the seed falling in the thorny ground grows but is choked out by all the cares of the world. Jesus gives us this parable to show us the conditions of our hearts. Which soil are you growing in?
Application
So, how then shall we live? How do we soften our hearts, given that there are some really annoying people out there? Well, step one is probably to recognize that there is a really annoying person in there! Yes, say it with me; “I’m annoying!!”
Now that we have that out of the way, we can talk about the love of God. This is a love that holds and heals; comforts and correct; calls and cleans. I find that some of the most “heart softening” things you can do are more oriented around letting go, giving up, and giving away. We must let go of our pride and speak when we would rather not. This is the, “I’m sorry, you are right, please forgive me,” part of the lesson. We must give up control of our circumstances. Controlling our circumstances is something we are usually not very good at anyway. If we can learn to trust God for the outcome, we learn to draw closer to Him. And we must learn to be about the business of giving to others. God made a single man, then said that it was not good that he be single. We are to be a connected crowd, attending to and doting on each other. It is a funny image, but would you pick the lice out of your friend’s hair, and then not look down on them by maintaining an attitude of love and encouragement?
When you choose to live in God’s kingdom, you are not only choosing white robes and pearly gates, but you are choosing the other people who are also choosing God’s kingdom. If you want to see God, spend time looking at His image bearers. Learn to follow God’s instructions with them. You will become a different person, and you’ll soon find that your heart is much softer and the weight of the world on your shoulders will be much lighter.
Prayer
Dear Lord, teach me to soften my heart. I confess that I have been stubborn, prideful, and hard hearted. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and restore me. Teach me to have a heart for Your people and the lost, that You may work in their heart to restore them to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
City Life Starter 
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