Study Material: Exodus 8:15 ESV
But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Today’s Teaching:
A big heart is an expression that is used in different cultures and it has different meanings as well. For example, in the western world, ‘a big heart’ is a term used to describe someone who is giving, kind and most likely given to charity or philanthropic work. Where I come from, someone with a big heart is someone who is filled with pride, thinks much of him or herself, or is simply puffed up.
In Ezekiel 36:26 NIV, God says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you
your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Now, a big heart may have different meanings in different cultures, but a hard heart is a hard heart in any part of the world. Pharaoh is a good example of a hard heart as we see in today’s scripture. But what is the opposite of hard? What kind of hearts should we have?
Our hearts become hardened when they are void of the Word of God. Someone might argue this point and say that there are a myriad people with ‘softened’ hearts who do good; but many are not Believers. So is it a soft heart that we desire? The reality is that the hearts that we should desire are not soft hearts, hearts for charity or do-good hearts. We should desire perfect hearts –for the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (II Chron 16:9a).
Take Home Lesson: God desires perfect hearts, perfect in their full commitment to Him. Anybody can have a soft/good heart, but only God’s children have perfect hearts.
Homework: Pray and ask God for the grace to have a perfect and committed heart for and to Him. Ask Him to destroy anything that could take your heart away from Him.
But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Today’s Teaching:
A big heart is an expression that is used in different cultures and it has different meanings as well. For example, in the western world, ‘a big heart’ is a term used to describe someone who is giving, kind and most likely given to charity or philanthropic work. Where I come from, someone with a big heart is someone who is filled with pride, thinks much of him or herself, or is simply puffed up.
In Ezekiel 36:26 NIV, God says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you
your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Now, a big heart may have different meanings in different cultures, but a hard heart is a hard heart in any part of the world. Pharaoh is a good example of a hard heart as we see in today’s scripture. But what is the opposite of hard? What kind of hearts should we have?
Our hearts become hardened when they are void of the Word of God. Someone might argue this point and say that there are a myriad people with ‘softened’ hearts who do good; but many are not Believers. So is it a soft heart that we desire? The reality is that the hearts that we should desire are not soft hearts, hearts for charity or do-good hearts. We should desire perfect hearts –for the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (II Chron 16:9a).
Take Home Lesson: God desires perfect hearts, perfect in their full commitment to Him. Anybody can have a soft/good heart, but only God’s children have perfect hearts.
Homework: Pray and ask God for the grace to have a perfect and committed heart for and to Him. Ask Him to destroy anything that could take your heart away from Him.
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