How can we avoid the stubbornness described in Jeremiah 7:26 in our lives? The warning in Jeremiah 7:26 “Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.” Why stubbornness surfaces • Pride—trusting self over God (Proverbs 16:18) • Fear—clinging to familiar sins rather than unknown obedience (Numbers 14:3-4) • Complacency—assuming past blessings guarantee future favor (Deuteronomy 29:19) • Idolatry—letting anything rival the Lord’s voice (Ezekiel 14:3) Steps to cultivate a responsive heart • Receive the Word daily • Heed the Spirit’s promptings “today” • Practice self-examination – Lamentations 3:40; 2 Corinthians 13:5 • Invite correction – Proverbs 9:8-9; Hebrews 12:11 • Repent quickly when convicted Habits that keep the neck flexible • Unhurried Scripture reading—letting the text read you • Worship that magnifies God, shrinks self (Psalm 34:3) • Fasting—training the will to submit (Matthew 6:16-18) • Service—actively preferring others (Philippians 2:3-4) • Thanksgiving—guarding against grumbling (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Accountability in community • Regular fellowship that “speaks the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) • Scripture-saturated admonition (Colossians 3:16) • Mutual confession and prayer (James 5:16) • Examples of past obedience to spur present faith (Hebrews 12:1) Early warning signs of a stiff neck • Dismissing a convicting verse as “not for me” • Rationalizing sin instead of naming it • Avoiding godly friends who ask hard questions • Dryness in worship that lingers unchecked • Blaming circumstances for disobedience Encouraging promises for the obedient • “The one I will esteem is he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2) • “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) • “If My people… humble themselves… then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) Choosing humility, quick repentance, and Spirit-led obedience keeps us from the stubbornness Jeremiah exposed and opens the door to God’s ongoing favor. |
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