My prayer is like David in Psalms 55. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. I believe once you are saved that you are always saved. That's not an issue in my life. Sometimes the cares of life blocks our intimacy with Christ and also creates noise that keeps us from hearing God's voice. We need to invite His presence in our lives daily. Trust Him today with everything. Don't be afraid to jump in completely. Give Him your all. Leave nothing behind. Move forward and don't look back.
On this journey of life I have heard the voice of God and reacted several different ways.
I have ran, disobeyed, avoided, procrastinated, blocked out God's voice. I think the worst thing that I have ever done when I heard God's voice was harden my heart. The period of my life when my heart was harden was the absolute most scariest time I have endured. Oh most people didn't recognize what I was going through. On the outside I still looked like I had it all together. Thanks Charles for this devotion today. I'm forever thankful for God's grace and mercy. His long suffering for me.
God repeatedly calls to His children, but the condition of each heart determines the result. Those with soft and tender hearts hear His voice and yield to Him in obedience, but those with hard hearts resist His warnings and instructions. Surprisingly, upon hearing the same voice, some believers are motivated to a deeper and more obedient relationship with the Lord, while others reject and refuse Him.
Since hardening is a slow process that's often accompanied by rationalizations and excuses, the danger signs may not be readily recognized. How do you respond when the Lord speaks to you through His Word, your conscience, or messages based on Scripture? Carefully consider the following characteristics of a hardening heart:
• Insensitivity or resistance to what God says
• Refusal to put yourself under His authority
• Disobedience to what you know the Lord is instructing you to do
• Justification of sinful conduct
• Resistance to the reproof of others
• Preoccupation with the things of this world (career, relationships, possessions)
• Little interest in spiritual matters
• Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
• Avoidance of public worship (gathering with other believers)
A hard heart does not have to stay in that condition. If you have discovered any of the above traits in your life, begin today to return to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a new heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). Remember, He specializes in making all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).
On this journey of life I have heard the voice of God and reacted several different ways.
I have ran, disobeyed, avoided, procrastinated, blocked out God's voice. I think the worst thing that I have ever done when I heard God's voice was harden my heart. The period of my life when my heart was harden was the absolute most scariest time I have endured. Oh most people didn't recognize what I was going through. On the outside I still looked like I had it all together. Thanks Charles for this devotion today. I'm forever thankful for God's grace and mercy. His long suffering for me.
God repeatedly calls to His children, but the condition of each heart determines the result. Those with soft and tender hearts hear His voice and yield to Him in obedience, but those with hard hearts resist His warnings and instructions. Surprisingly, upon hearing the same voice, some believers are motivated to a deeper and more obedient relationship with the Lord, while others reject and refuse Him.
Since hardening is a slow process that's often accompanied by rationalizations and excuses, the danger signs may not be readily recognized. How do you respond when the Lord speaks to you through His Word, your conscience, or messages based on Scripture? Carefully consider the following characteristics of a hardening heart:
• Insensitivity or resistance to what God says
• Refusal to put yourself under His authority
• Disobedience to what you know the Lord is instructing you to do
• Justification of sinful conduct
• Resistance to the reproof of others
• Preoccupation with the things of this world (career, relationships, possessions)
• Little interest in spiritual matters
• Absence of private devotion (Bible reading and prayer)
• Avoidance of public worship (gathering with other believers)
A hard heart does not have to stay in that condition. If you have discovered any of the above traits in your life, begin today to return to the Lord. Ask Him to give you a new heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). Remember, He specializes in making all things new (2 Cor. 5:17).
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wow man. this is good stuff.