A TEST FOR A HARD HEART

Exodus 7:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”

Pharaoh had refused to let the Israelites go, even though God showed himself clearly, so the plagues began. The water in the Nile turned to blood and the fish died. The people’s water supply was gone, their food supply was hurt, the place stunk; and what did Pharaoh do? His heart grew only more cold and hardened.

More than anything else, God is concerned with the condition of our heart. More than what we do, where we go, what we say. It is possible to do the right thing, be in the right place, and say the right things all the while having a heart that is indifferent to him. If you are facing difficulty in life; if you find yourself less and less moved by the things of God, it may be time to assess the state of your heart. Here are a few things to watch for when searching you heart.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you blatantly disobey God. Pharaoh’s response to letting God’s people go was to make it worse on them. He did the opposite of what God said to do. Moses took this response to God and God told Moses that he would deal with Pharaoh. Moses was sent back to Pharaoh and this time he performed the miracle of the staff to a serpent, but Pharaoh ignored that also when the magicians were able to do the same thing. The more God punished, the harder Pharaoh’s heart became. Is it the same with you? The more God tries to correct you, the more stubborn you become?

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you become insincere. The second plague that God brought was the plague of the frogs. Aaron stretched forth his hand over the water of Egypt and frogs came up out of the waters and covered the land. This is especially significant because the frog was considered sacred in Egypt and could not be killed. The magicians were again summoned and asked to perform the same miraculous act, and they did; but this wasn’t helpful, because they needed less frogs not more. Pharaoh was only willing to change when there were no other options; but when the problem was gone he had no need to obey God.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you attempt to bargain with God. Pharaoh offers different bargains to God. The proposals that Pharaoh offered to God are the same that Satan offers to Christians today. First, Pharaoh says, “you can go but on my terms.” Sound familiar? “God, I’ll change, but I’ll do it my way”. Later, Pharaoh says, “you can go, but leave your possessions behind.” Does this ring a bell? “God, I’ll conform, but not with everything”

Finally, you might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you refuse to commit. Even when pharaoh said “go”, he couldn’t stay committed to the idea. It is very challenging to have a hardened heart and go “all in” for Christ. Because there will be portions of your heart that are not made available to the work of his hand.

Always remember, any true and meaningful change in our life, must begin with a change of heart. You can temporarily change your behaviour, but if you want true progress in life and the abundance that God has promised you, you must allow his spirit to soften your heart. Watch the warning signs, be sensitive to his voice, and allow your heart to be moved by him.