The Danger of a Hard Heart
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Sep 20, 2024
- 2 min read
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. (Hebrews 3:8-10)
The Bible depicts a hardened heart as one that refuses to be moved, listen, or believe anything other than what it currently does. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years because they hardened their hearts.
Israel had seen God’s power. He set them free from four hundred years of slavery and drowned the most powerful army or charioteers in the Red Sea that He split so the Israelites could safely cross. God had repeatedly proven Himself with miracle after miracle, yet when a difficulty arose, they rebelled against Him by having a heart hardened to His will.
God promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey. However, He didn't mention the giants or walled cities they would encounter. When the spies returned with reports of these obstacles, ten gave an evil report, focusing on the challenges rather than God's promise. Their fear led them to speak doubt and negativity, saying they would die in the wilderness, and began blaming God, the One who had saved them and worked miracles on their behalf. Their words reflected their hardened hearts and lack of faith, ultimately leading to their deaths.
Just like the Israelites, we sometimes face giants and walled cities—insurmountable situations. However, faith does not operate based on what we see but on who we trust. God has given us His Word and, within it, His promises. He has promised victory and provision. Our task is to trust and obey, even when the path seems complicated.
Practical Application
Guard your heart from hardening. A major way of doing so is refusing to allow your mouth to speak negativity and doubt. Our words should reflect our faith. Speak life, talk about hope, and speak God's promises over your situations. Avoid the trap of negativity and doubt that kept the Israelites from experiencing God’s best.
