Hearing With The Heart

Psalm 95:7–8
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart.

Thought:
The Bible shows that the real problem with hearing God is usually not in the ears or the mind, but in the heart. Israel heard God speaking through Moses and the prophets, but often they hardened their hearts. They wanted their own way. They did not want to be told they were wrong. So the same Word that could have brought life and joy became something they resisted.

Jesus showed this in John 8. The religious leaders heard His words, but they could not “hear” in a spiritual way. They did not want to accept what He said about their sin, their need for freedom, and their true spiritual father. They argued. They were offended. They wanted to kill Him.

This still happens today. The Word of God confronts our pride, our habits, our desires, our secret sins. It convicts us. That means it declares us guilty and in need of change. Our flesh does not like that. So we are tempted to explain it away, twist it, ignore it, or get angry at the messenger.

But a heart that is “of God” does something different. It may hurt at first, but then it bows. It says, “You are right, Lord.” It repents. It turns. It yields. This is not because we are better people. It is because God has begun a work in our hearts to make us soft instead of hard.
Every time you hear the Word, you are doing one of two things. You are either hardening your heart, or you are humbling your heart. That response reveals everything about whether you are “of God” or still living in resistance to Him.

Prayer:
Lord God, I confess that my heart can be stubborn. I do not like to be shown that I am wrong. Please forgive me for the times I have resisted what You clearly said in Your Word. Today, soften my heart. When Your Word convicts me, help me not to harden myself, but to repent and obey. Let my response to Your voice show that I truly belong to You. In Jesus name, Amen.