HARD HEARTEDNESS BRINGS DEATH
Psalms 95:7c-11 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day a Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”
In Exodus 17:1-7 we read about the story behind Massah and Meribah. The Lord had set Israel free from their bondage in Egypt. Because of the Lord’s great miracles Pharaoh finally gave in and let the Hebrews go. When they got to the Red Sea the Lord drove back the waters with a mighty wind, and dried up the land so they could cross over. Then when they grumbled about the water at Marah and Elim, God made it pure for them. When they grumbled about their food, God gave them manna and quail. Then at Rephidim once again they grumbled about the lack of water, God brought water from a rock
The practice of grumbling against the Lord time and again tested the Lord’s patience. They were being lead by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s presence was ever before them, yet they did not trust or love him. They didn’t even appear to be thankful to him for all he had done. Their constant dissatisfaction and lack of trust brought about a hardening of their hearts towards God. They resented being made to do what God commanded them. They said they would sooner go back to Egypt and be slaves than die in the desert. Of course they wouldn’t have had to die in the desert if they would have obeyed the Lord and went into the Promised Land when God gave them the chance. Their death in the desert came because of their disobedience and rebellion towards the Lord.
Hardening of our hearts towards God is still a death sentence. Only God can give life, and only he can sustain it for us. At any given time he can end our life and even send us to hell for all eternity where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Fighting God is a no win situation even when God lets us win. He always has our best interest in mind for us. When we choose otherwise, we always find sorrow. Not only will we not be blessed as we could have been, but our relationship with the Lord will be damaged. Any love for the Lord will diminish until it is completely gone. In some ways this could be the real definition for death. Not one being in hell will regret being with the Lord. They will carry the hardness of their heart towards the Lord for all eternity in hell. In fact there will be no love in hell for anyone or anything. There will be no fruit of the Holy Spirit. No one will experience any love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness or self-control. Hell will be just the opposite of heaven, and the only reason anyone, including Satan and the powers of darkness will be there will be because of their hard heartedness towards God.
Hardness of heart can come about in anyone including Christians! The thing is that when a Christian hardens their heart against God they are no longer Christians. They have become anti-Christ. Don’t allow any disappointment or misfortune harden your heart towards the Lord. Think about his love. Think about his goodness, and all that he has done for you and wants to do. We are God’s creation. Who are we to ever put ourselves above the Lord to test him with a bad attitude towards him that will only lead to hard heartedness.
Prayer: Lord, please help us to never test you, and allow our heart to become hard towards you. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
